


Don't Forget Me

by inu382



Series: Stay with Me [2]
Category: Persona 5, Persona 5: The Royal - Fandom, Persona Series
Genre: Akechi Goro Has A Palace, Bad Parenting, Chatlogs, M/M, Persona 5 Spoilers, Persona 5: The Royal, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Probably a happy ending, Romance, The Velvet Room (Persona Series), lol what is canon, old persona lore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:34:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 73,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26358781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inu382/pseuds/inu382
Summary: Amamiya Ren wanted to move on and forget all about Akechi Goro. Turns out, Goro beat him to the punch.(Follows the events ofCome Back to Me)
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira
Series: Stay with Me [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1915423
Comments: 34
Kudos: 82





	1. “Plus, I think there’s a reason I survived like this.”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, wow! I don't remember how long ago I wrote Come Back to Me, but it seems like the Persona Series just fuels that muse. You don't have to have read Come Back to Me to get this story, but they are in the same universe.

_“Plus, I think there’s a reason I survived like this.”_

* * *

“I thought things would be better now,” Ren’s father had said.

Ren didn’t respond. He knew Sae would be right; it didn’t matter that his case was overturned and that Shido confessed, he would always be labeled as a delinquent as soon as people found out about his record. But, deep down, he had hoped that things would have been better, too. Ren wasn’t as naïve as his father, though. Life had shown him, on February 3rd, that those hopes were futile.

And so, despite barely arriving from Yongen-Jaya a scant 24 hours before, Ren packed up the rest of what he had and he and his father moved to Iwatodai, where hopefully no one had heard the name Amamiya Ren.

He transferred to yet another new high school, Gekkoukan High, and the name was familiar enough to him that he decided to do some research. With a smile, he found the name Arisato Minato amongst the alumnus, and was quick to reach out to his senpai.

Stealing into Palaces, stealing hearts, killing a god, and then defeating his counselor were all pretty amazing, but getting called to help bring Minato back to life was probably within the top five craziest things Ren had experienced in the previous year.

The day before his new school year started, Ren called Minato and smiled at the monotone “Hello?”

“Hi, senpai. It’s…Joker. Remember me?”

The voice at the other end huffed a laugh. “Oh, I definitely remember. My boyfriend hates you.”

Ren chuckled. “He could probably stand to hate me more. Want to meet me for coffee?”

Ren smirked at the loud protesting he could hear in the background over Minato’s amused snort. “I think I’ll keep Yuu happy, but I don’t mind sharing coffee with both of you. Come on over. I think we should talk.”

* * *

Ren’s father didn’t care what Ren did, as long as he didn’t call attention to himself like he had before. Before Ren left to meet Minato and Yuu, he told Ren to keep to himself and not stick in his nose if he saw another woman getting attacked.

“Serves her right, if she gets herself in that situation. You hardly need to go back to juvie,” he’d said. Ren very carefully shut the door as he left.

Thankfully, the train ride to Minato and Yuu’s was short and Morgana agreed to go exploring while Ren visited. Ren got there fairly quickly and made sure to have no thoughts whatsoever about what his father said. Made sure to have no thoughts whatsoever on the fact that his mother wasn’t there anymore to say anything herself. He knocked carefully and was welcomed inside by a cheerful Minako. Minato smiled at him from the couch, where he was setting a tray of tea and cookies down on the table. Yuu scowled at Ren, which Ren honestly appreciated. Ren sat down between Minato and Yuu, smirking as Yuu sputtered his protests.

“You just live to piss people off, kid,” Yuu muttered.

Ren smiled, cracked at the edges. “Suppose that’s true.”

Quickly, so quickly Ren almost missed it, the other three Wild Cards shared a look.

“I guess I should go home. Shinji is probably cooking,” Minako excused herself, exiting through the Velvet Room Door that looked like a door and not a cell.

“Uh-oh,” Ren muttered, crossing his arms and legs and sitting back, “I thought we were here to talk about why I’m a better boyfriend than Yuu-senpai.”

The dig didn’t work, it seemed. Minato and Yuu both stared at Ren passively, and it struck Ren that this is what it felt like to have a Wild Card as a friend; that this must be what his friends looked at when they felt compelled to spill all their deepest secrets to him, despite knowing him for a few days.

But unlike all his confidants, Ren was not so easily swayed. He simply stared back.

“We’ll have to work for this one, Yuu,” Minato finally decided.

Yuu smiled, “That’s fair. He’s just like us.”

“How so?” Ren asked, head tilted.

“Everyone tells you everything, but you never offer up how you feel or how you’re doing,” Yuu replied. “Everyone feels as though they understand you, but you’re so fragmented inside, it feels like no one will ever understand you. There’s too many ‘yous’ for any one person to understand.”

Ren’s hand tightened into fists. “But _you_ understand.”

Minato shrugged. “For the most part.”

“If you knew how hard this would be…if you’d been through it yourselves to some extent…why didn’t you come for me? I came for you.” Ren finally spoke, the words acrid on his tongue.

The blue-haired boy sighed, wringing his hands as he glanced away, “As Wild Cards, we’re not allowed to interfere in each other’s growth. We each face our own trials to find the truth, but we must do it on our own with the strength we gain from our friends. When you helped me, you were helping me outside of mine and Yuu’s journey. Even when I met Yuu in the Velvet Room, I could not directly interfere in his journey, beyond giving a bit of advice.”

Ren’s jaw tensed, but he nodded. “I see.”

“And your particular journey was unlike any we’d ever known,” Yuu frowned. “Igor went missing for a year and we couldn’t interact with him. The door that led to your Velvet Room was weird, too. It was like a cell and it was locked. Once he returned, he told us the gist of what happened with Yaldabaoth.”

“That being said, if anyone has any idea what you went through, we do. It’s not much, but we’re here now. Talk to us, Ren-kun,” Minato implored. “That’s why you asked me out, isn’t it? Because you thought another Wild Card would finally understand you?”

Ren ducked his head, hiding behind his large glasses and bangs. Slowly, he shook his head.

“I just want to forget…” he whispered. “I need to forget _him_.”

Yuu opened his mouth. Nothing happened. Minato glanced at the silver-haired boy oddly, but Yuu merely grasped his throat and continued moving his lips, though no sound ever emanated from them. With a sigh, Minato wrapped an arm around Ren’s shoulders, rubbing the younger boy’s arm as Ren shook.

“I think…the journey still isn’t quite over, Ren-kun. But this time, we’ll be here.”

* * *

_He sat on the train back to his hometown, dread steadily building as he realized he would be far away from Sojiro, Futaba, and the other Thieves. The friends and memories he’d made were precious to him, but Ren also knew that there was a poison infecting him the longer he stayed in Tokyo. Every memory, every place, every person was tainted because all them reminded Ren of_ him _somehow._

_No longer did he have the power to manipulate the hearts of people as a Phantom Thief. Now, Ren would have to find a way to change their hearts in the real world and the thought terrified him. Would he be labeled something worse? Would he lose his friends over this? Maruki’s world had shown how tenuous their friendships were—without Ren there to unify them, the Thieves would drift back into their own lives—away from each other._

_Away from Ren._

_His phone chimed and Ren glanced down but was distracted. In the corner of his eye, he saw the figure of the one person who he’d failed, the person who haunted his dreams every night since their last adventure together. Ren quickly glanced up, eyes scanning the terminal for him. In the distance, if he pressed his face to the glass, Ren could see the red tresses of Sumire bouncing as she walked. Two men in black suits, huddled together, walked along to the exit. No one else stood out. Deflated, Ren leaned back in his chair, staring out the window as the train began to move._

_He blinked and startled as he saw Joker looking back at him. Another blink, and Amamiya Ren had returned. With a rueful smile, Ren ignored it._

_Joker was gone. Just like Akechi...just like_ Goro _._

* * *

Gekkoukan High School was large, but no more confusing than Shujin Academy had been. His father hadn’t bothered to introduce Ren, so Ren walked himself to the faculty office to get his paperwork and sign himself in. The process was quick enough and the teachers every bit as odd as the ones in Shujin.

 _Do Wild Cards just attract weird people?_ Ren wondered as he walked past the nurses’ office.

The day was normal and boring, but Ren did his best to answer any questions asked of him instead of sleeping in class. There was nothing to craft, no plans to be made, no supplies to be purchased. No one here had spread rumors about the “delinquent Amamiya”, so no one talked less-than-surreptitiously behind his back. Morgana slept peacefully in Ren’s cubby, a tiny bit of familiarity that Ren desperately needed.

The return to normal was discomforting to Ren.

By the time lunch rolled around, Ren was desperate to escape everything. Some kind students greeted him and made an effort to talk to him, but Ren couldn’t bring himself to respond much. He missed his old friends and their easy conversation. He wished they’d interrupted his class with another text chain.

Distracted and frustrated, Ren decided to retreat to the roof. He set his bag down gently, Morgana instantly popping out to ask for his curry bread. With a smile, Ren broke a piece for the cat and ate his own lunch. With a quick twirl, Ren took his phone out of his pocket to see if he’d missed any messages. A relieved grin stretched across his face as he opened the thieves’ chat.

_[WE KILLED A GOD!! Chat]_

_13.4.20XX_

_Bon Jovi: Yo, Leader! How’s the new school? Walk into any castles yet?_

_Sexy Cat: Don’t jinx him like that!_

_Agent Q: Oh! He’s looking at his phone now! Hiiii, Ren!! :-*_

_707: Hiiii, Baby Sister!! :-*_

_FIST! OF! JUSTICE!: It’s so weird how different you are when you text…_

_Foxy Lady: This duality of personality between reality and text…is this gap moe? I need my sketch book._

_Axe Murderer: It is very cute! Seriously, Ren, how is your new school?_

_707: Too normal. Where’s Sumire?_

_Sexy Cat: Training camp, as per usual._

_Bon Jovi: I bet shit’s too normal for you. After what we spent all year doing, it’s super weird to be good boys and girls._

_707: How’s PT, Ryuji?_

_Bon Jovi: Hurts like a fucking biiiiitch._

_Bon Jovi: But so worth it. I’m already doing better times._

_Sexy Cat: He’s doing it again!_

_707: ?_

_Agent Q: Doing that thing where you deflect and make us talk about ourselves instead of you._

_Bon Jovi: For real?! Oh man, I totally fell for it!_

_Axe Murderer: Is it weird that I can literally hear Ryuji’s voice when he types that?_

Morgana huffed over Ren’s shoulder. “ _I_ can still hear it. All of Japan remembers the way it sounds.”

_707: Morgana says your voice is so enchanting, all of Japan knows what it sounds like, Ryuji. uwu_

“I did not!”

_Foxy Lady: Futaba, please send me a picture of Ren’s face. I want to see what he looks like right now, in the midst of his gap moe._

_Agent Q: On it!_

_FIST! OF! JUSTICE!: You two are so creepy when you’re working together._

With a laugh, Ren quickly pocketed his phone before Futaba could snap a picture. Morgana, still perched on Ren’s shoulder, gently prodded the boy’s cheek with his nose. “Feel better?”

Ren shrugged. “Did I seem down?”

Morgana huffed. “Like you can hide anything from me.”

Ren snorted, picking up his trash and letting Morgana slip back into his bag. With an ease gained from hefting the cat everywhere, Ren swung the bag back on his shoulder and headed back to his classroom. “No, I guess hiding from you is too much to expect. But, yeah. I feel better.”

Morgana poked his head out, resting it on Ren’s shoulder. “Just because you’re apart, doesn’t mean they’ll forget you. Maruki’s world…it was a world where your experiences together didn’t forge your friendships. You know that, right? Those experiences are always going to bind you together. In the end, we came back together, because we mean too much to each other.”

Ren smiled at Morgana over his shoulder, and Morgana relaxed, seeing the softness in his expression. “Thanks, Morgana. I’m really glad you came with me.”

“As if I could trust you to take care of yourself.”

Ren groaned. “I promise to go to bed at a normal time, geez.”

Morgana’s tail puffed to Ren’s amusement. “Liar! The one time I let you go to bed on your own, and you stayed up all night playing video games!”

“It was only until 3!”

Morgana yowled back at him as Ren laughed, and Ren was glad no one commented on the loud meowing obviously coming from his bag.

* * *

Even though Ren and his father lived together in a fairly spacious apartment, Ren more often found himself going to Minato and Yuu’s apartment. They had the extra room (“We’re trying for a child,” Minato had deadpanned when Ren asked) and their apartment was much closer to Gekkoukan. Despite their rocky start, Ren found he had much more in common with Yuu than he thought. Now that the threat on his boyfriend’s chastity was seemingly gone, Yuu was much more friendly to Ren and seemed to have no problem letting Ren sleep over. In the first week since he’d moved, Ren spent three nights with Yuu and Minato; by the third week, he only went back to his own apartment to get more clothes.

His father never said anything about it. Ren didn’t either.

That Sunday, while Yuu was out on errands and Minato was cleaning the kitchen, someone other than Minako and Shinji walked through the Velvet Room door. Long, deep red tresses fell over a giant white boa wrapped around her shoulders. A skin-tight black suit with black boots covered the rest of her body, though there was literally no point, because the suit left nothing to the imagination. Morgana was thankfully asleep on the back of the couch, or he might have developed another crush. Ren stared from his place on the couch as she walked through imperiously, brushing imaginary dust off her boa. When she finally noticed him, she smiled.

“Hello,” she said, “You must be a new friend of Minato’s and Narukami’s. My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. And you are?”

“Why are all of Minato-senpai’s friends so pretty?” Ren asked instead, because he was incapable of normal people sentences.

Mitsuru blushed slightly, but she laughed instead of backing away, so Ren took it as a win. “Thank you, I think? Your name?”

“Oh, right,” Ren smiled. “I’m Amamiya Ren. You’d probably recognize me better if I still had my mask on. I was there that night, when we saved Minato-senpai.”

Mitsuru’s sharp red eyes widened. “Joker? The thief? I see, this is what you look like outside of your costume. Do you specifically dress that way just for your infiltrations?”

“Mitsuru-chan,” Minato called from the kitchen, cutting off Ren’s reply and causing a deep red flush to cover Mitsuru’s cheeks. “You should have called if you were visiting! I would have cooked something.”

“No need, Minato! And do mind the honorifics you attach to my name!” Mitsuru replied through gritted teeth. Ren laughed and sat back, ignoring the homework he’d spread on the coffee table. “I’m just here to talk to you about the next operation.”

Ren’s head tilted to the side, offering a smile to Minato as the older boy brought them some tea and mini cakes to share. “Operation?”

Minato sat beside Ren and gestured for Mitsuru to follow suit on Ren’s other side. “Mitsuru-chan—”

“ _Arisato!_ ”

“—is the leader of the Shadow Operatives. They’re a team of persona users who contain and study the various dimensions where shadows exist.”

Ren blinked. “Various dimensions? There’s more than one metaverse?”

“Is that what you called your world?” Minato shrugged, sipping at his tea. “We called it Tartarus, and it was focused on the location where a shadow experiment went very wrong. Yuu’s world was accessed through a TV. Why don’t you and Mitsuru get acquainted? Maybe once you can explain it, she’ll be able to access your metaverse, too.”

Ren paled, hunching his shoulders. “No.”

Mitsuru leaned forward, attempting to look at Ren from under his bangs. “Amamiya? What’s wrong?”

“You can’t. We got rid of the metaverse.”

Minato sighed sympathetically. “As long as humans exist, so will shadows. The worlds we think we get rid of have a tendency to come back.”

“It _can’t_ ,” Ren urged, voice rising.

“Ren?” Morgana asked, roused awake. “Ren, what’s wrong?”

“Did that cat just talk?” Mitsuru jumped away from the couch.

“The metaverse can never come back,” Ren repeated, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his hands on his lap.

Minato’s brows furrowed. “Okay, Ren, it’ll be okay. If it’s gone, then however you accessed it is gone, too, right? You can check it, right?”

Feverishly, Ren ripped through his bag, searching for his phone. Ignoring the confused mutterings of the others in the room, Ren unlocked his phone and swiped through, checking all his apps.

The phone fell out of his grasp. Morgana’s large blue eyes flicked from Ren to the phone. Finally, Morgana leapt down to the floor, turned the phone over, and jumped back in shock.

“The nav app is back!” he cried.

“Nav App?” Minato repeated. “Is that how you guys accessed the metaverse?”

“It can’t be back,” Ren whispered, standing and backing away from his phone.

Mitsuru, seemingly recovered from Morgana talking, tried to gently approach Ren. “Amamiya? Let’s sit down and talk about this. Explain what this nav app and metaverse thing is to us, and we’ll work through it, okay?”

Ren shook his head, distracted by the sounds of heavy breathing. It took him a moment to realize that the sound was coming from him. The red eye of the nav stared back at him mockingly, no matter how far he got from his phone. The air felt crushing, and the app seemed to come closer to him despite his attempts. Minato, Mitsuru, and Morgana called his name, but all Ren could hear was static steadily becoming louder in his ears. Ripping his eyes away from the phone, Ren looked up, catching his reflection on the mirror Yuu had hung by the door.

Joker was staring back at him, a smirk curling his lips.

Ren tore out of the apartment, ignoring the cries behind him, and ran into the street. Instinct seemingly led him towards Gekkoukan, where he ran up the stairs, throwing the doors open until he reached the roof. Looking around wildly, Ren confirmed he was alone before collapsing on the bench. Briefly, Ren wondered why none of the doors were locked, but swiftly pushed the thought away.

The metanav was _back_. His harsh breathing was too loud in his ears as he remembered the deep, blood-red of the app icon on his phone. Ren gripped his hair, shutting his eyes, but open or closed he could still see the nav before his eyes.

 _It can’t be back_ , he repeated over and over in his head, clinging to the mantra as if it would change what he saw. _If that damn app is back…if the metaverse is back…then Goro…_

“ _Then it was all for fucking nothing!_ ” the scream tore from Ren, unbidden.

“Are…are you okay?” a soft, familiar voice asked behind Ren. Startled, Ren jumped and quickly turned around, eyes widening behind his false lenses at the sight before him.

Honey brown, shoulder length hair. Wine red eyes, sharp with intellect, but lacking the ever-present malice that he could never quite hide from Ren. Slim shoulders, wrapped in a tan version of the Gekkoukan High uniform— _did they even make that, or did he request that?_ Ren thought, madly.

Akechi Goro stood in front of Ren, a phone in one gloved hand and a stack of papers in the other. Belatedly, Ren noticed a large ring of keys hanging on Akechi’s— _Goro’s_ —hip, with a small charm bearing the Gekkoukan High seal.

“ _Goro_?” Ren whispered.

The boy in question furrowed his eyebrows, eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How do you know my name? And why are you addressing me so familiarly? Why are you on the roof? Did you know I’d be here today?” Quickly, Goro’s eyes scanned Ren’s body and Ren felt one of the rings on the long chain gripping his heart break off. “You look like you’re in distress. Are you all right?” Suddenly, the suspicion left Goro’s eyes. “You…this is the roof. You didn’t come here to…?”

“No!” Ren was quick to jump in. “No, I just…It was too much and I…” Finally, Ren processed all of Goro’s questions. “What do you mean, how do I know your name? Why wouldn’t I know your name?”

Goro blinked. “Oh. I mean, I suppose it makes sense that you would know your student council president, if you were inclined to find it out. I shouldn’t have assumed. But it doesn’t explain why you’re using my first name.”

“Student council president?” Ren replied. “You’re…really a student here?”

Goro tilted his head, a hand resting on his hip, raising a brow, and the pose was so familiar, Ren felt his knees weaken. “How do you know my name, but do you don’t know I’m the student council president here? Admittedly, it’s not as though I attend classes regularly, but…wait, wait, this isn’t about me. Why are _you_ here?”

“It’s me, Ren,” Ren replied. At the blank look on Goro’s face, the chain weighed heavily. “Amamiya Ren. We met in Tokyo.”

At that, Goro seem mollified. “Oh! I see!” Ren sighed, his shoulders relaxing. “We must have met in passing when I lived in Tokyo. I apologize, I don’t remember you.”

Ren stared as Goro nodded to himself. “No, that’s not what happened. You really don’t remember me?”

“I’m sorry, Amamiya-kun,” Goro’s gaze was full of sympathy. “It looks as though you’re going through something. I’m assuming you’re also a transfer student here. I’m sorry if you needed a familiar face, but I genuinely can’t remember you. As student council president, however, please feel free to talk to me about anything.”

Ren opened his mouth, though he wasn’t quite sure what was going to come out, but the door slammed open again and Minato and Morgana appeared in the doorway. “Ren!” Morgana yelled, relieved, darting over and immediately digging his claws into Ren’s leg. “Don’t scare me like that!”

Minato strolled over much more calmly and placed a hand on Ren’s shoulder as the boy tried to extricate Morgana’s claws. “Sorry it took us some time to get here. Are you all right?” Minato glanced at Goro, who was staring unabashedly at Morgana. “And you are?”

Goro shook his head, though he kept glancing at Morgana. “I’m…Akechi Goro. And you’re Arisato-san, right? Your picture is in the hallway named after you.”

“ _Akechi?!_ ” Morgana gasped.

“There’s a hallway named after you?” Ren mumbled, holding Morgana at arm’s length as the cat yowled and clawed at him, asking too many questions about Goro.

Minato chuckled. “There’s a whole story there, but basically, everyone thought I was dead and felt bad.”

“Arisato-san, are you acquainted with Amamiya-kun?” Goro eventually asked.

“Yeah, he’s my little brother,” Minato lied smoothly. “He moved here with me. We had a misunderstanding, and I guess this roof is somewhere that feels comfortable for him. Why are you here, Akechi-kun?”

Goro glanced between them, eyes narrowed. “I was finishing the itinerary for the student trip we’re having in a few months. It’s easier to get work done when the school is closed. I found Amamiya-kun here after I heard some strange sounds. I came here and found him yelling about how…how it was all for nothing.”

Minato’s deceptively blank gaze locked onto Ren, and the boy in question flushed. Ren ducked his head, hiding behind his bangs, unable to reconstruct his poker face. Morgana had stopped struggling and slipped out of Ren’s grasp, perching himself on Ren’s shoulder to rub his head against Ren’s, purring forlornly.

“Thanks, Akechi-kun. I’ve got it from here. Ren, let’s go home.”

Ren glanced up at Minato. “Home?”

Minato grasped Ren’s hand, pulling the boy behind him, seemingly ignorant of the way wine red eyes followed them. “Yeah, _home_. Yuu’s probably back by now.”

Ren nodded quickly, willing the burning behind his eyes to go away. “’Kay.”

* * *

As they walked up the stairs leading to Minato’s apartment, Ren finally spoke.

“I’m sorry, Minato-senpai.”

Minato smiled gently, stopping to pet Ren’s head and then Morgana’s. Morgana purred and leaned into the touch, comfortable in Ren’s arms and lulled into semi-consciousness from the sway of the walk.

“Mom, I think,” Minato replied. Ren huffed a laugh. “And don’t be sorry. But I do think you need to talk to someone. And if it’s too hard to talk to your friends, then talk to us. We don’t know what happened, beyond what Igor told us. It might be easier to talk to someone who’s ignorant to what went on. If not us, then your friends or Sakura-san.”

Ren sighed and nodded. “Okay.”

With a final pat, Minato opened the door to the apartment. Mitsuru was still there, sitting on the couch with her arms and legs crossed, foot jumping anxiously. Yuu was also there, pacing back and forth apparently, and halted to a stop when the door opened. With a deep sigh of relief, Yuu rushed forward and, to Ren’s surprise, hugged _Ren_ first.

“You’re okay. Mitsuru-senpai told me what happened. Do you want to talk about it?”

Ren blinked. “I’m not your boyfriend.”

Yuu released him, sputtering. “You—! Of course, you’re not my boyfriend! I can tell the two of you apart, despite how much you try to copy him, you little—! I’m just worried about you!”

Minato smirked, and Ren stared at the rare expression on his face. “Once Yuu adopts people, he thinks of them as his children. Wait til you meet Nanako-chan. It’s like the she has two dads.”

Ren chuckled and shook his head, a small, grateful smile on his lips. “I certainly won’t turn down having more dads, I guess. Better than the original, anyway.”

“Amamiya,” Mitsuru interrupted. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, but perhaps we should talk about this application on your phone. It seemed to distress you earlier.”

With a sigh, Ren followed Minato into the apartment and sat down. He briefly squeezed Morgana, who allowed himself to be held, even curling against Ren as much as possible.

“It all started on the day I was falsely accused of assault…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started on May 25th. It took days of planning to finally get an outline I liked. Thanks to tumblr user elainethedeer for a post that helped me finally solidify my feelings on how Akechi survived in the last after-credits movie (https://elaiinethedeer.tumblr.com/). I had a similar theory, and it was helpful to see someone else had thought the same thing.


	2. “Now this is just a guess…"

_“Now this is just a guess…but I think I’m still here because you all remained cognitive of me…”_

* * *

“And then he was just… _there_. On the roof. Like he never sacrificed himself for us,” Ren finished. Minato passed him a glass of water, and only then did Ren realize how dry his throat felt. With a nod, Ren accepted the glass and quickly drank it down. Yuu sat on Ren’s other side and Mitsuru was perched on the arm of the couch. Morgana was still cuddled against Ren, his purr a constant comfort.

“So, when you said it was all for nothing,” Minato said gently, “You meant that he had died for nothing if the metaverse came back?”

Ren nodded slowly.

“But he’s back anyway,” Yuu muttered, hand stroking his chin. Ren cringed, reaching out to tug Yuu’s arm down. The silver-haired boy blinked but let it go when Ren didn’t elaborate more. “And he doesn’t seem to remember you.”

“Maybe…it’s for the best,” Ren mumbled. “I wanted to forget him…it seems he forgot me first. Maybe this is better for him. Less painful.”

Morgana turned his sharp blue eyes to Ren, staring at him. Ren stared back, grimacing; but Morgana didn’t say anything, and Ren didn’t bother asking.

Minato stared quietly for a moment, measuring his words. Finally, he sighed. “Then…if this is how it’s supposed to be, and you’ve been brought back together again, why not start over?”

Yuu glanced at Minato over Ren’s head, eyebrow raised. As Ren continued fiddling with Morgana’s collar, Minato stared back at Yuu, tapping at his own throat gently. Yuu’s eyes widened and he nodded.

“Can I do that?” Ren finally whispered.

“I don’t see why not,” Yuu replied carefully. “And we’ll be here. Your friends are here for you, too. And your dad.”

Ren’s jaw tightened. “Not him. He’s never there.”

Yuu chuckled, patting Ren’s head. “I meant Sakura-san.”

Ren raised his head, blinking at Yuu. A small smile broke out over his face. “Right. Sojiro. Thanks.”

“Go call your friends or Sakura-san,” Minato suggested gently. “We’ll make dinner. We can pass by your other apartment and get the rest of your stuff. I doubt your sperm donor will mind if we just move you in here for the year.”

At that, Ren finally laughed. “Right, right. Thank you. Really.” With another quick smile, Ren stood and went to the guest room—his room. Ren carefully avoided looking into the mirror as he passed it. Morgana stayed on the couch, watching the black-haired teen go. Once the door shut, Morgana huffed.

“I thought he’d learned his lesson,” the cat muttered. “That’s why we stood up against Maruki, after all.”

“Morgana?” Yuu asked.

“Maruki wanted a world without pain,” Morgana explained. “But that world robbed us of choice and growth. We briefly lived in our ideal worlds but broke away from it to support Ren and return to the reality we’d _earned_. Ren…he was the one who ultimately decided we would fight Maruki. I thought it was because he knew that pain…is sometimes necessary. I was wrong. Maybe something—no, definitely _someone_ else convinced him.”

“Someone?” Mitsuru asked quietly.

“The same night Maruki came for his calling card, Akechi appeared. They asked me to leave, so they could talk alone, but of course I eavesdropped. At the time, we all thought Akechi had survived, but Akechi figured out that he was dead and brought back to life by Maruki’s powers. He knew Maruki, intentionally or not, would use Akechi’s life as a bargaining chip against Ren…”

* * *

Morgana, perched at the very top of the stairs and crouched out of sight, listened carefully to Akechi and Ren talk. From where he sat, he could just barely see. Ren stared at Akechi after the boy explained his reasoning. Morgana grimaced when Akechi mentioned seeing Isshiki Wakaba and Okumura Kunikazu alive, as if that proved his point. When Akechi claimed that no one would ever manipulate him again and then demanded Ren’s answer, Ren stayed silent for a while.

“Don’t make it sound so simple,” Ren finally murmured.

“Oh, but it _is_ that simple,” Akechi threw back at him. Morgana’s ears folded back, his small shoulders drooping as Akechi diminished his own life. Even after all that Ren had done—even endangering his friends—Akechi clearly still didn’t understand Ren’s feelings.

“Shut up,” Ren whispered suddenly, and Morgana’s ears perked.

Akechi blinked, balking for a moment. “Excuse me?”

“I said, shut up!” Ren yelled. Akechi took a step back; Morgana, too, felt his fur stand on end. Until then, Ren had never, ever, raised his voice. Not even against Yaldabaoth. Morgana always thought Ren was simply the type to never get too emotional—now Morgana was starting to wonder if having so many personas literally meant Ren had as many masks. “You think it’s so easy to choose?! You think I want you dead?! You’re back now! Who cares if it’s because of Maruki? Maybe this world won’t be so awful! Not…not if you’re in it.”

Akechi scowled, glaring at Ren. “You agreed with me. You agreed this world was wrong!”

“That was before I knew it meant I’d lose you again!”

“You never _had_ me to begin with, you fucking tool!”

Ren flinched. “I…”

“Give me your answer, Amamiya.”

“I don’t…”

Akechi stared Ren down as the boy floundered. Morgana stepped a paw forward gently. Never had Ren hesitated before. In every palace, even if it was inadvisable, Ren always charged forward. Hindsight never seemed to be a word that existed in Ren’s vocabulary. Morgana was _always_ with Ren, so why hadn’t he ever seen this side of him? Was this something only Akechi could bring out of Ren?

Suddenly, Akechi grabbed at Ren’s collar and dragged him closer, until their noses were a breath apart.

“Your. Answer.” Akechi growled through gritted teeth.

Ren stayed quiet. Only seeing the back of Ren’s head, Morgana couldn’t make out his expression, but he saw the rage gradually soften on Akechi’s face. After a long moment of breathing each other’s air, Ren finally shoved Akechi back and turned his back him. Even though his hair covered most of his face, Morgana could see Ren’s mouth pulled into a thin line.

“Amamiya?” Akechi tried once more. “ _Ren_.”

“We’ll go fight Maruki tomorrow,” Ren answered, voice like steel. “Now, get out.”

Akechi sighed, but a smile curled his lips. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

“Didn’t you hear me? Get the fuck out, Akechi.”

Akechi frowned, crossing his arms. “I’m not missing out on this fight.”

“I’m not expecting you to,” Ren answered. “And I’m expecting you, Sumire, and Haru with me in the front lines when we face Maruki. But for right now, I don’t want to look at you so _get. Out.”_

At that, Akechi nodded. Slowly, he extended his hand towards Ren. With a small sound of displeasure, Akechi snatched his hand back before he touched Ren’s shoulder and swiftly turned around, marching out of the café. Once the door fell closed again, Ren collapsed into a chair. Morgana immediately bounded downstairs, hopping onto Ren’s lap.

“Ren?” the cat prodded gently at Ren’s hand. Ren acquiesced, petting Morgana gently. But no matter how many times Morgana tried to engage him, Ren refused to speak for the rest of the night.

* * *

“That was when he started saying he needed to forget Akechi and move on,” Morgana muttered, ears folded down. “And now…what he said about avoiding pain…it’s just like Maruki.”

Yuu sighed, shaking his head. “Minato…you said he should get to know _this_ Akechi-kun.”

Minato grimaced. “I couldn’t say anything else. I tried, but…I suppose fate refused me.”

“Fate refused you?” Mitsuru asked. “I didn’t know there were things even wild cards couldn’t resist.”

“No matter what, a wild card cannot interfere in the journey of another wild card,” Minato replied, his tone absolute. “Philemon has allowed more wild cards to exist so close to each other for the first time, but the trade-off for that is that we can never help each other find our answers. I had to find my answer on my own; so did Yuu; and now Ren will have to do the same.”

“Even this is part of his journey?” Morgana asked quietly. “Hasn’t Ren been through enough?”

“But something about this strikes me as odd,” Yuu muttered, finger tapping his chin as he thought. “If this is Ren’s journey alone, why were two wild cards pitted against each other? Wouldn’t it be _their_ journey, since they are both wild cards in the same game? And Ren is fully realized as a wild card if he inherited The World.”

Minato’s eyes widened. “Then, maybe…”

“Maybe it’s not Amamiya who is on the journey,” Mitsuru finished for him.

* * *

_[WE KILLED A GOD!! Chat]_

_3.5.20XX_

_707: Guys._

_Princess Tutu: Senpai! How rare for you to message us first!_

_Bon Jovi: Sumire’s name still kills me_

_Princess Tutu: Please stop teasing me, Skull-senpai._

_FIST! OF! JUSTICE!: Sumire is right, though. It’s odd for you to message us first. Is everything all right, Ren?_

_Foxy Lady: Does something have to be wrong for Ren to message us?_

_707: The navapp is back._

_Foxy Lady: I stand corrected._

_Agent Q: WHAT????!!!! LIES!!!_

_707: Is it not on your phones?_

_Axe Murderer: No! Is it on yours, Ren??_

_Sexy Cat: I’m just seeing this, omg. Ren, is it really back?? I don’t have it!_

_Foxy Lady: It’s not on my phone, either. Ren, are you all right? Are you sure it’s definitely the metanav app?_

_707: Futaba._

_Agent Q: On it!_

_Agent Q: ZOMG_

_Agent Q: I’m looking at Ren’s apps now and he’s not crazy! He’s got the metanav back!!_

_Princess Tutu: What does this mean?_

_Foxy Lady: Ren. Please answer me. Are you all right?_

_707: …_

_707: No_

_Axe Murderer: Ren…do you need us to come there?_

_707: No_

_Bon Jovi: Fuck that! We’re going anyway! No way you’re dealing with this alone._

_Sexy Cat: As if! You better make sure you have space for us to sleep over this weekend!_

_707: It’s fine. I don’t need you guys to come_

_Foxy Lady: How selfish of you. We simply desire to experience Iwatodai for ourselves._

_FIST! OF! JUSTICE!: I’ve already rented the van. We’ve spent money. We all know how cheap you are, Ren, so you can’t tell us not to come now._

_707: Guys…_

_707: Thank you._

_Bon Jovi: ;-*_

Ren smiled down at his phone, doing his best not to grip it too tightly. After a moment of hesitation, he opened a separate chat.

_[Coffee-Sensei Chat]_

_3.5.20XX_

_Padawan: Sojiro? Can I ask you something real quick?_

_Master: Sure, kid._

_Master: …these names you picked out for us…_

_Padawan: Don’t question your role as my coffee master._

_Padawan: Also…_

_Padawan: Something bad happened. Everyone is coming up here for me, and I appreciate them, but…_

_Padawan: My sperm donor is…_

_Master: …_

_Master: I’ll be on my way there with your friends and I’ll bring Sae-san with me._

_Master: We’ll sort this out. I should have never let you go with him of all people. I know you felt like you needed to leave, but I should’ve made sure who you left with was someone who cared about you._

_Master: Sae-san and I will fix that. Are you safe for now? And I don’t mean physically._

_Padawan: Yes. I’m with some new friends._

_Padawan: One of them is trying to take your place as my real dad._

_Master: The hell?_

_Master: Who is this punk?_

_Padawan: loooool thanks dad. I’ll send the address._

Ren stepped out of the room, pocketing his phone and smiling at the others huddled around the couch. They gave him a brief wave, but thankfully returned their attention back to the map on the coffee table. Ren walked over, noting that his homework had been moved to the side in a neat pile.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

“Of course, Ren,” Yuu replied with a smile. “Better?”

“A bit. Do you mind…my friends want to come for the weekend and are looking for a place to stay. I know this place is a bit small, and I technically have a place to live, but…”

Morgana jumped up excitedly. “Ann-dono and Haru are coming to visit?!”

Ren smiled. “All the thieves, and Sojiro and Sae-san. I think the adults will probably find their own place, though.”

Minato shrugged. “If the girls don’t mind sharing your room, you boys can sleep out here. I don’t mind you having a sleepover. Unless your other dad has any objections?”

Yuu glared at him. “Don’t try to make me the hard ass parent.”

“It’ll prepare us for when we have kids! Or when Nanako-chan moves here!”

Ren laughed. “Minato-senpai—”

“—mom—” Minato corrected.

“—you’re really determined to have kids, aren’t you?” Minato’s face didn’t really change, beyond the barely there blush on his face. Yuu smiled at the other man, gently tucking a strand of blue hair behind his ear. Suddenly feeling like an intruder, Ren turned towards Mitsuru. “Actually, what is this map?”

Mitsuru sighed, rubbing her arms. “It’s a map of the new areas we’ve discovered in the TV world. Even without someone tossing people in, people sometimes find their way into that world, if they’re…what’s a good word…?”

Ren’s poker face emerged again. “If their hearts are distorted enough?”

Mitsuru’s answering smile was more a painful grimace. “Right. And now I’m wondering about this metaverse you’ve mentioned. The people themselves were not directly thrown in, but you could meet their shadows and affect a ‘change of heart’? I’m sorry, actually, are you well enough to talk about this? I understand what you’ve gone through today must be…trying.”

“Yeah, it’s…I’m wondering how I’m even going to face Go— _Akechi_ tomorrow. I really don’t want to think about the metaverse right now. Sorry.”

Mitsuru’s smile this time was more genuine. “Of course. I understand completely. If you ever want to talk about it, feel free to have Minato reach out to me.” Ren nodded, and though his impenetrable mask was reconstructed, the relief he felt at avoiding another assault to his mask was immense. Quietly, he collected his homework and sat down on the loveseat beside the main couch, content to figure out calculus and physics in the real world rather than the metaverse.

Hard as he tried, however, his mind kept veering back to crimson eyes, deep and bright and real, but devoid of recognition.

* * *

Goro was waiting for Ren in front of the gate, tapping his foot impatiently.

As was planned, Ren had gone back to his father’s apartment, packed the rest of his things, and left the apartment.

His father didn’t say anything. Ren didn’t say anything, either. His mask never cracked.

Once back in Minato’s and Yuu’s apartment, Ren felt a heavy weight lift off his chest, but knowing that Goro would likely try to confront Ren as soon as possible kept him tossing and turning all night. Ren dreamed of a boy too steeped in hatred to see that what he wanted was there in front of him, desperately grasping onto his glove; he dreamed of a brunet with biting wit and a sardonic sense of humor, but an unrelenting sense of justice; he dreamed of Goro demanding that Ren let him die. When Ren finally opened his eyes that morning, his cheeks were stained with tears. Morgana kindly said nothing.

And now, as Ren had feared, Goro’s memory loss did nothing to change the brunet’s direct attitude. With Morgana hunched in his bag, a small paw poking out to offer comfort, Ren made sure that his face conveyed nothing and walked directly up to him.

“Amamiya-kun, I’ve been waiting for you,” Goro said as soon as he spotted him, a pleasant expression plastered onto his face. “I think we need to talk.”

“Akechi-senpai,” Ren said in greeting and nothing else. He’d talked more than enough.

That didn’t seem the satisfy Goro, though his cheery smile never faltered. “Do you agree?” At Ren’s shrug, Goro’s pinky twitched, but he continued talking. “All right, then. Let’s meet in the student council room during lunch. I won’t keep you anymore.” With that, Goro smiled his made-for-TV smile and walked away.

Morgana poked his head out. “Will you be okay?”

Ren didn't answer beyond walking through the gates to his class.

* * *

Lunch came far too quickly. After swinging by the school store to bribe the attendant to sell him the last two curry breads, Ren quickly made his way to the student council room. While no one knew of his former record, it seemed just talking to Goro was enough to arouse people’s interest. As he walked through the halls, Ren could hear the unsubtle whispers speculating why the new student needed to go to the student council room so soon.

Ren made it to the student council room and took in a deep breath. Morgana popped out again, glancing around. “Do you want me to be in there with you? Or do you need me to walk around?”

Ren smiled gratefully at Morgana and shook his head. He crouched down and let Morgana out. “Don’t get caught.”

With a flick of his tail and an unimpressed look, Morgana skittered off, curry bread pack in his mouth.

“You bring your cat?” came from behind Ren in an unfortunately familiar voice. Ren merely straightened himself and nodded. “And he eats curry bread? Is that healthy for him?” The black-haired boy huffed, a small smile on his face despite himself.

“Morgana eats whatever he wants. Even chocolate.”

“That _can’t_ be healthy,” Goro replied, opening the student council room for them. “Don’t you know what to feed cats?”

“Not all cats are the same,” Ren replied breezily, stepping in before Goro and taking one of the seats pre-arranged at the table. Goro closed the door and slid into the seat across from him, his skeptical brow raised so high, it nearly disappeared into his hair. “And Morgana can probably pick the locks if I try to hide the chocolate from him.”

“If you say so,” he allowed. Suddenly, Goro chuckled, and it was sincere enough to make Ren’s eyes widen. “You’re so surprising. It’s odd.”

Ren shrugged.

“I apologize for this, but the way you reacted to me on the roof made me curious, so I decided to look you up a bit.” Ren tensed, but Goro continued as if he hadn’t noticed. “You recently transferred here from Shujin Academy in Tokyo. The Vice Principal there had…a very unusual view of you. He seemed to think you were a delinquent of some sort. Are you?”

Ren relaxed. “Rumors.”

“I see,” Goro muttered. “I can understand how those get out of hand.”

“Right.”

“I assume you just looked the part?”

“The part of…a delinquent?”

“Or, the former leader of the phantom thieves.”

Ren breathed in slowly. Then he carefully let out the breath. “You found that?”

Goro smiled at him, cloying and false. “I’m interested in becoming a detective and I’ve made some connections, who didn’t mind sharing that information with me.”

The black-haired boy blinked. “You remember the phantom thieves?”

Goro opened his mouth to reply, but a suddenly glazed look crossed his features. With a groan, Goro put a hand to his head, leaning his elbow on the desk. Ren slowly rose from his seat and placed a hand on Goro’s shoulder. “Akechi-senpai? Goro? Are you all right?”

“I…I feel like I’m forgetting something?” Goro muttered. “But there’s this…veil over it. I can’t…” the brunet shook his head. “You called me Goro, again.”

Ren sighed and withdrew once Goro straightened. “We’ve met. I guess I thought we were closer than we really are.”

_You never_ had _me to begin with, you fucking tool!_ seared across Ren’s mind.

Goro frowned. “We've met?" With a sigh, Goro moved on. “Arisato-san…is he really your brother?”

Ren sat back down. “Are you interrogating me, Mr. Detective?”

Goro’s mouth twitched and Ren smirked. “It seems as if you were in quite a bit of distress yesterday, Amamiya-kun. I just want to be sure I understand your whole situation so I can help you. That’s my job as student council president, wouldn’t you say?” he replied, synthetic smile back in place.

Ren shook his head. Just like Goro to turn it back on him. “Minato-nii-chan is like my adopted brother. He’s taking care of me while I’m here.”

Goro leaned his cheek against his hand, elbow balanced on the knee crossed over his leg. “Parents?”

Ren smiled, making sure it was as plastic as Goro’s pleasant veneer. “Dead.”

That seemed to crack the façade a bit. “I’m…sorry to hear that. But…your record showed that you were living with your fa—”

“They’re dead,” Ren reiterated, eyes flat as slate.

At that, Goro finally nodded. “And…yesterday? What happened?”

Ren’s face was impassive, but somehow, Goro could feel intense hostility radiating off the other boy. “Figure it out, detective. Enjoy your lunch.”

Just as Goro was about to say they had more time, the bell rang. Surprised, the brunet turned towards the clock. With a frown, Goro turned back and watched Ren walk out of the room briskly. Despite himself, he felt intrigued with silver eyes that at once seemed so open and yet so guarded.

* * *

The rest of the week did not pass by quickly for Ren. School was obnoxiously boring and tedious; the amount of homework they piled on honor students—which Ren somehow found himself to be—was insane and nearly insurmountable. At every occasion, Goro also attempted to find Ren alone again so they could talk more, but Ren quickly made friends with some other students and made sure that he even went to the restroom with someone.

Goro’s polite veneer never swayed, but Ren’s eyes were sharp enough to catch the tell-tale signs of Goro’s intense irritation. Perversely, it made Ren happy to see Goro so annoyed. Thankfully, _this_ Goro did not manipulate the rules to suit him, so he never abused his position as student council president to force Ren to meet him.

The only saving grace was Morgana’s constant commentary on Ren’s new weird teachers, the thieves’ fun stories and enthusiasm to see him over the weekend, and living with his de-facto “parents”. Minato and Yuu clearly had an open-door policy, so anyone with access to a Velvet Room door seemed able to pass by at a moment’s notice. Amongst those, Mitsuru visited once more, but thankfully only to talk about the Shadow Operatives. Reservations aside, Ren was genuinely interested and would usually stick around to listen.

The thought nagged at him: to be _Joker_ again, even though he was so ready to give it up to save the world. Bitterly, he’d remember that he gave up the metaverse so Goro could die on his own terms.

_That turned out just peachy, didn’t it?_ he thought, savagely.

Thankfully, Thursday arrived and Ren was happy to be excused from school. The other thieves would be arriving on Friday, electing to take Saturday off, but Sojiro was coming early with Sae to help facilitate Ren’s legal guardianship paperwork.

The thought of potentially never having to see his father again was enough to make Ren smile all day, even though it disturbed Morgana a bit. Unfettered, Ren quickly showered and dressed, doing his best to look like a responsible human being. He hoped his past wouldn’t hurt Sojiro’s chances, as the whole phantom thieves business happened while he was in Sojiro’s care, but Sae seemed confident on the phone when they talked.

At 9 am on the dot, the doorbell rang and Ren ran to open it, a wide smile on his face. To his dismay, it wasn’t Sojiro on the other side.

“ _Goro_?”

The plastic smile was on again, but an unmistakable flash of fury scorched through crimson eyes. “Hello, _Amamiya_ -kun. I heard you would not be coming in today.” He held up a stack of papers. “I brought you your homework.”

Ren frowned. “And _you_ personally brought it? Thanks?” He carefully took the stack, rifling through the papers absently as Goro kept talking.

“You don’t seem unwell. Why did you not come to school?”

Before Ren could answer, he saw Sojiro approach from behind, Sae at his side. Unbidden, the large grin was back, and Ren quickly passed the papers back to Goro, rushing forward to hug the man he considered his father. “Sojiro! You’re late!” He pulled away from the laughing man and gave a smaller, but no less genuine, smile to Sae. “Thank you both for coming.”

Both adults smiled at him before they glanced up and froze.

“ _Akechi-kun_?” Sae breathed.

“ _Akechi!_ ” Sojiro exclaimed, grabbing onto his hat. “He’s alive?!”

Goro blinked. “Excuse me? What do you mean, _alive_? How do you know me?”

Ren jumped in quickly. “They also knew you. We all did. When you disappeared, we assumed you didn’t want anything to do with us.” Ren couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice. “You never contacted us, after all.”

Sae smoothed her hands down her jacket, looking between both boys, quickly grasping some idea of the situation. “Right. It was just an expression, Akechi-kun. We’re just surprised to see you, since it’s been a while. And…it seems you don’t remember us.”

Thankfully, Sojiro quickly caught on as well. “Shame. Good to see you’re well, though.”

“I…” Goro stuttered, gaze shifting between all three of them. “I really don’t understand. The way you reacted…that’s not the way someone reacts when they’ve lost touch. You really seemed to think I was dead.”

“We missed you, Akechi-kun,” Sae covered. “Very much. And as much as we would like to catch up, we have somewhere to go with Ren-kun.”

Goro’s lips tightened, but eventually his cheerful, adult-approved smile was back. “Right, of course. I apologize. Here is your homework, Amamiya-kun. I’ll see you…” crimson eyes sharpened and Ren felt each blade in that gaze rake down his spine. “… _soon_.”

With that, Goro bowed politely and left, thankfully taking all the tension with him.

“Is this the bad thing you were talking about, kid?” Sojiro asked once the sound of Goro’s footsteps faded.

“One of many, unfortunately.”

* * *

After submitting the custody paperwork for Ren, Sojiro and Sae joined Ren back at the apartment for coffee. Thankfully, if his father and mother did not contest the guardianship, it seemed Ren would have an easy transfer and Sojiro would be able to bestow temporary physical custody to Yuu and Minato, who were both financially able to provide for Ren. The celebratory coffee that Sojiro brewed for them was magnificent, and Ren felt the chains that tethered his heart loosening.

Now, only one more chain was holding onto his heart, in the shape of a brunet with a bad temper.

Determined to get it over with finally, Ren left Sojiro and Sae with Yuu and Minato (“Let your dads talk, son,” Minato had said, fueling the stare down between Yuu and Sojiro). Morgana snugly in his bag, Ren waited outside the gates of Gekkoukan as the final bell rang. He intended to wait until all the students left, figuring Goro was too busy to leave right away, but was surprised to see the brunet strut through the gates purposefully.

“Akechi-senpai!” Ren called and the boy in question was quick to turn back once he spotted Ren.

“You know, Akechi-kun is fine. We’re technically in the same grade, even if I am repeating a year,” he said as he approached.

“Speaking of, I never see you in class,” Ren said conversationally.

Akechi smiled brightly. “I missed some classes last year due to an accident. I’ve managed to work out a deal with my college of choice and the high school. I’ve begun my college classes and will not have to pay my scholarship back so long as I finish high school. I don’t have to attend high school classes in return, so long as I do all the work. This way, I finish high school and don’t derail my college schedule. I already passed my college entrance exams, after all.”

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Ren replied, sincerely impressed. Just like the old Goro, this one preened subtly at the praise, but was quick to deflect.

“It’s nothing, really. I just don’t want a silly accident to derail my life calendar.”

“You _would_ have a life calendar,” Ren deadpanned. “Is your wedding on it?”

Goro flushed, and Ren laughed at the genuine expression on the other boy’s face. “I—so what if I do? I like to be prepared.”

“I just wanted to be sure my birthday was on there, too.”

Goro huffed, but a smile was threatening to break out on his lips. Ren smiled back unabashedly, a serenity he hadn’t felt in months returning to him. “Why are you leaving now?” Ren glanced at his watch. “Isn’t it about five hours too early for you to be heading home?”

“Funny,” Goro replied, smirking. “Am I to assume that you’re also very familiar with my calendar? I was just going to visit you again.”

Unable to resist, Ren smirked back, Joker bleeding through. “Someone’s eager. Don’t forget your overnight bag.”

A deep blush covered Goro’s face and he quickly covered it, groaning into his hands. Ren laughed, probably loud enough to cover the snickers coming from his bag. “I can’t believe you can say that with a straight face, Amamiya-kun.”

“You’d be surprised what I can say with a straight face,” Ren countered.

Goro peeked through his fingers at Ren, his little, sardonic, _real_ smile curling his lips. “You _do_ always surprise me. I’m starting to think…I _like_ surprises.”

Ren’s heart stopped. Was…was Goro _flirting_ with him? The other Goro—the _real_ Goro—never allowed them to get close enough for this. Ren had pulled out all the stops, too; had looked like the thirstiest bitch in the whole world trying to get Goro to respond _just once_.

_You never_ had _me to begin with, you fucking tool!_

But maybe…maybe this time, _he could_.

“I guarantee you’ll like this surprise. At dinner. Tomorrow night?”

Goro’s hands left his face, but the smile was still there, small and just a bit sadistic, but very much Goro. With a huff, he extracted more papers from his bag and thrust them into Ren’s chest. Ren’s smile widened as he grabbed the papers before they fell. Goro turned to leave, but briefly whipped his head back to wink at Ren. “It’s a date.”

* * *

“What’s bonkin’, bro?!” Ryuji cheered as he strolled into the apartment the next day. Ren laughed, greeting the other thieves as they followed Ryuji with their own exclamations and hugs. The living room furniture had been moved against the walls in an attempt to accommodate the various people who would be staying over the weekend. Ren was not looking forward to their bathroom schedules, but seeing his friends in his new home settled something in his chest that he hadn’t realized was still restless.

Once their bags were stowed in Ren’s room, the group of teens settled around the couches and floor, pulling out the snacks and drinks that Ryuji and Ann purchased, making themselves at home. Not long after, Sojiro and Sae also arrived and more chairs were taken out. Finally, Minato arrived home and smiled at all his guests.

“Maybe Yuu and I won’t have quite this many kids,” he said.

Ren nodded, “Probably a good idea.” He turned to the others, “Everyone, this is Arisato Minato. This is his and his fiancé’s Narukami Yuu’s apartment.”

“Why does it feel like you’re always living in someone else’s apartment?” Ryuji asked, shouting when Ann shoved him. Morgana snickered from his place on Ann’s lap.

Ren smiled, sitting back down beside Yusuke. “It be like that sometimes.”

“So, what has been ‘bonkin’, leader?” Yusuke asked.

“I love you, Yusuke,” Ryuji whispered reverently. Yusuke tilted his head curiously, but held up his fingers in the shape of a heart.

Ren shook his head fondly, and set into explaining how he knew Minato and Yuu, how he ended up finding them, and how reaching out to his friends helped him decide to reach out to Sojiro as well.

“Aw, Coffee dad to the rescue!” Futaba grinned, perched beside said father. Sojiro grumbled and looked away, but couldn’t quite hide his pleased expression.

Makoto regarded Minato, who leaned against the couch behind Ren. “So, you’re also a wild card?” The blue-haired man nodded.

“Yuu and I both are. We’ve had similar journeys to Ren, but I really think he has us beat.”

“You literally died, mom,” Ren deadpanned. Minato blinked, mouth falling open slightly.

“For real!?” Ryuji exclaimed, and everyone cheered, taking a drink of their teas and sodas in a toast. “Wha—when did you guys plan this? What are you doing?” the blond pouted, loud as ever.

“Game is to take a drink whenever you say one of your catchphrases, Ryuji,” Makoto grinned over the rim of her glass. “It just to happens you’ve already said one of them.”

“Wha—! I—! C’mon, man!”

“Drink!” Ren called, and the others followed suit, despite Ryuji’s loud groaning. As the afternoon wore on, they continued talking, sharing their lives in more detail. Ryuji talked about his physical therapy and the grueling regimen he followed and how that made him become closer to Ann and Shiho. Ann cheerfully informed them that she found a school in the Netherlands that she would be transferring to after the winter holidays where a modeling agency would be helping her build her brand. Yusuke showed them pictures of his new pieces, since Makoto refused to allow him to store the large canvases on the van they rented. Makoto proudly talked about her classes and Sae was equally proud of her sister. Haru, who had chosen to move in with Makoto so they could still spend time together, happily talked about how her coffee beans were growing nicely and Sojiro confirmed that her coffee would be nearly as good as Leblanc’s. Sumire had finally placed first in the latest gymnastics meet. Futaba was enjoying her new high school and, while she hadn’t made many friends, Kana-chan was still keeping in touch.

Finally, they all turned back to Ren.

“So, what’s this about the metaverse coming back?” Makoto asked.

“The day I texted you, Minato’s friend came by and told me that there are different worlds where shadows exist that she investigates. She’s the leader of that organization, so she was curious about the metaverse. I…checked my phone. The nav is back on there. I haven’t tried accessing it, though.”

“That’s crazy,” Futaba muttered. “I thought we got rid of it for good.”

“As long as shadows exist, the worlds we find them in will come back,” Minato replied, echoing himself. "Even though the Dark Hour from my journey has receded, Tartarus forms every night."

“And then I ran out and found…Akechi.” A chorus of surprised shouts surrounded him, each one of his friends throwing more and more questions at him. “I don’t know how he survived,” he finally said, and their voices died down. “He doesn’t remember anything about us, it seems. He thinks he had an accident. When we tried to talk about the phantom thieves, he got weird and he couldn’t remember anything beyond what he’d read about me.”

“And Ren asked him out on a date for tonight,” Morgana supplied, one brilliant blue eye glaring at Ren.

Futaba cackled. “I knew you had a thing for him!” Ann laughed, poking at Ren’s cheeks, where a faint blush painted his cheeks.

Makoto, however, was not amused. “Ren…is this wise?”

“I agree,” Haru said, looking away from Ren, “I think…if Akechi-kun survived and if he doesn’t remember what he’s done, why go near him again? If it hurts him to remember, why would you—the very thing he’s trying to forget—try to remind him? Let him live his life… _away_ from you.”

The silence was heavy, taking the air out of the room. Eyes, all beneath varying degrees of furrowed brows, flitted between each other, glancing back and forth between Haru and Ren. Ren ducked his head and very carefully didn’t allow his face to move. He didn’t allow his fists to clench. He wouldn’t move beyond hiding his eyes. Morgana eventually moved, hopping from Ann’s lap to Ren’s, nudging at Ren’s cheek with his nose. Gently, Ren raised a hand and pet Morgana’s head.

“Eff that!” Ryuji said, standing up. He sputtered briefly when, despite the tension in the air, everyone took a drink. “You guys…whatever! Anyway, it doesn’t matter if he forgot. Does the Akechi you remember sound like the kind of guy who couldn’t face what he’d done? That bastard never apologized for anything he did, and even when he fought Maruki knowing he’d die, he stuck to his damn pride and stupid ideas! Besides, even if he’s forgotten stuff, I bet he’s still the same, stubborn asshole he always is!”

At that, Ren chuckled. “Yeah…he wouldn’t leave me alone all week when it seemed like I knew him. Then we finally talked a bit and…he, uh, flirted with me first.”

“Exactly! You think you can run from Akechi now that he’s interested in you? He’s gonna hound you anyway. Live your dumb life, man, and don’t let yourself regret it just because it seems like a stupid idea. Every idea sounds stupid the first time you think of it, right?”

Makoto sighed. “I cannot even begin to deconstruct all that.”

“I feel as though I must agree with Ryuji,” Yusuke said, ignoring all the heads that snapped towards him. “Ren, you have sacrificed yourself time and again for the good of the world. There’s nothing wrong with you having something that makes you happy.”

“So…your dinner is tonight?” Ann confirmed hesitantly. At Ren’s nod, she grinned and jumped up, ignoring a squalling Morgana, to drag Ren to his room. “Then we need to dress you up!”

Futaba scrambled over the couch to follow, and soon Ryuji, Sumire, and Morgana were behind her, rushing into Ren’s room. The door slammed shut to the sound of Ren’s anguished cries and Ann’s cheerful destruction of his closet.

Minato chuckled and turned to the other adults. “Sakura-san…”

“Boss, please.”

“Boss, Sae-san, how about some coffee? Ren won’t stop gushing about how amazing Boss’ coffee is, and I even bought new beans.”

“Sure,” Sojiro agreed, standing. “Maybe a good cup of coffee will smooth things over with Yuu when he gets back, too.” At that Sae and Minato laughed, the three of them walking into the kitchen.

Haru, Yusuke, and Makoto sat apart from each other in the living room, exchanging wary glances. The silence between them was occasionally interrupted by excited chatter from Ren’s room and the quiet conversation from the kitchen.

“I can understand why you’re skeptical…” Yusuke finally began.

“I just—” Haru interrupted, clenching her hands. “I won’t ever forgive him, but I think he redeemed himself. When Maruki brought him back, he was also willing to turn himself in, especially if it meant sparing Ren-kun. I respect that. But those two together…outside of Maruki’s world, maybe they weren’t meant to be happy together. I’m worried they’ll just hurt each other more.”

Makoto placed a hand on Haru’s shoulder, rubbing gently. “I just…I can’t believe he’s forgotten everything we’ve been through. It’s feasible, I suppose, but I can’t help but worry that there’s something he’s planning. When we beat Akechi before, it was a mix of planning, us working together, and a whole lot of luck. I’m not sure we could beat him again.”

Yusuke sighed, standing. “I understand. I’m not saying I’m not worried or wary, but…if we’ve all moved forward, why won’t we allow that of Akechi, even if it means it’s with Ren?”

“Is it moving forward, though?” Haru frowned. “Clinging to Akechi-kun, trying to get what could have been if Akechi-kun had been more honest with us…isn’t Ren-kun just clinging to his past hopes instead of moving forward?”

“In the end, it’s Ren’s decision,” Yusuke replied. “And all we can do is be there for him, like he’s unfailingly been there for us.”

Ren’s door opened, cutting off whatever reply the girls had. Ann marched out of the room, the others laughing and waving their hands in front of the door to hide Ren, as if it was a grand reveal. “May I present: Amamiya Ren! Date night edition!”

Ren stepped out from behind the various jazz hands, smirking cockily. His black blazer covered his wine red turtleneck, which was French tucked into black slacks over dark, dark gray ankle boots. Ann giggled as she leaned against Ren. “This sweater is almost the same color as Akechi-kun’s eyes! He’ll love it!”

Yusuke walked over and circled Ren, eying the outfit with his critical eye. Finally, he swiped Ren’s glasses off his face and swept Ren’s bangs to one side. “Now, it’s perfect. Dazzle Akechi with your beauty, leader!”

Minato, Sojiro, and Sae rejoined the teens in the living room, and Minato whistled. “Not bad, Ren-chan. Gocchan is gonna flip.”

Ren flushed. “Please don’t call him that when he gets here…”

“He’s coming here?! For real?!” Ryuji cried, groaning when everyone scrambled to drink something.

“Yeah, so you guys can’t freak out when—” Ren paused, interrupted by the doorbell. Every eye turned towards the door. With a chuckle, Minato crossed the room and opened the door, where Akechi Goro waited patiently. If he was confused or overwhelmed at the number of people in the apartment, Goro didn’t show it. His elastic smile in place, Goro politely greeted everyone. Ren, however, was struck at Goro’s attire.

The brunet seemingly inverted his favorite colors, wearing khaki slacks and a black sweater. His neck was protected by a maroon-plaid scarf, which matched the maroon shoes he wore. A braid was twisted on the side of his head, allowing his bangs to be out of his face for the evening.

“My, I didn’t realize so many people would be here tonight.”

“Hi!” Ann cheered, rushing forward, despite Ren’s attempts to claw her back. “I’m Takamaki Ann! We’re all friends of Ren’s. Nice to meet you, Akechi-kun!” Goro smiled easily back, though it was obviously fake. With a sigh, Ren shoved Ann towards Ryuji, who laughed and caught the blonde girl.

“Sorry about that. My friends from Tokyo are visiting for the weekend.”

Goro slipped his hands into his pockets. “Are they? Shouldn’t you stay here, then?”

Ren shook his head, waving absently towards his friends. Quickly, he linked his arm through Goro’s and led the other boy back out of the apartment. “They should get to know my brother slash mom.”

“That makes no sense,” Goro complained as Ren closed the door behind them. Once the two left, the others looked around at each other, quietly.

“Oh, he’s got it bad,” Sae finally commented.

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Makoto muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post the first two chapters together, but I got caught up at work. ;;;
> 
> Fun fact: I disliked Makoto at first because she made life fucking unbearable when you met her and I thought Haru was the traitor because she was so tooth-achingly nice and they didn't do a great job introducing her. I ended up loving them because Makoto's reminders in battle were so handy and Haru's skills are fucking killer. 
> 
> No one beats Navi!Akechi tho. That boy so thirsty his threats are just his kinks said out loud.


	3. "you kept me in your minds…"

_“Even after the world’s distortions disappeared, you kept me in your minds…”_

* * *

Ren and Goro walked through Port Island, intent on exploring Paulownia Mall. They visited Shinshoudo and browsed through the artifacts, which Ren could feel an odd energy from. If Goro could sense the energy, he didn’t show it. They showed each other new bands and groups in Power Records, as well as choosing a few vinyl jazz albums that they could listen to together, provided Sojiro had a record player (Ren was 95% sure he did). Goro outright refused to be dragged into Mandragora, despite Ren promising that he would be doing all the singing and Goro merely had to play the tambourine. They had dinner at a small diner on the strip, sharing food and complaining about their workload at school. Finally, they enjoyed sub-par coffee in Chagall Café, and Goro enjoyed teasing Ren for the obvious displeasure on the black-haired teen’s face.

As the night drew on, they finally convened in Club Escapade. Ren briefly worried that Goro would have trouble getting home, but the brunet assured him he actually lived within walking distance of Ren’s apartment. In the club, they grabbed fruity drinks and reclined in the plush couches in a private corner of the club. Ren, content and languorous, turned his head to stare at Goro. The brunet had crossed his legs, his arms spread wide to rest on the back of the couch. If Goro wanted, his arm could wrap around Ren’s shoulders. The brunet’s eyes were closed, his whole face relaxed, and without his bangs to hide his face, Ren could really appreciate how long Goro’s eyelashes were. The small, barely-there curl of his lips made Ren’s heart race.

As far as Ren was concerned, the entire date was perfect. The whole night was spent in laughter, interesting conversations, the occasional friendly challenge, and a deepening attraction. Goro had rarely reverted to hiding behind his amicable mask, though he never became as acidic as he was during their fight against Maruki.

And, as much as Ren loved getting to know this Goro, _this_ Goro didn’t have the cynical, caustic view of the world that Ren…sort of missed.

Fighting with Goro in Maruki’s palace, the _real_ Goro, was a genuine treat Ren didn’t know he was missing. He often had to hold in his laughter when Goro was navigating them with his many snide comments; he enjoyed seeing Goro run loose, attacking without reservation and without mercy any prey unfortunate enough to fall into their path; and hearing Goro’s laugh, wild and unhinged, made Ren feel _free_ in a way he hadn’t felt since he’d first awakened to Arsène.

This Goro, while still amazing and more honest than the boy he’d first met so long ago, felt as though he were still chained down. Ren wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but the black-haired boy also knew his own heart.

And he knew, in his heart of hearts, he was desperate enough to accept _any_ version of Akechi Goro in his life.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Goro murmured, opening one eye to peek at Ren.

“Just enjoying the view.”

Goro snorted, pushing Ren’s face away gently. Ren laughed, catching his hand before Goro could pull it back, and kissed his palm. Goro flushed, yanking hand back.

“How are you so comfortable being so honest with your feelings?”

Ren tilted his head, humming. “I think…you’re the only one I don’t have to hide around.”

“How do you mean? Aren’t you honest around your friends?”

Ren shrugged, taking Goro’s hand back in both of his. Gently, he played with Goro’s fingers, examining each one. “I am. But, it’s only a part of me. I can only be ‘Ann’s Ren’ when I’m with Ann, or ‘Ryuji’s Ren’ with Ryuji, or ‘Group Ren’ when I’m with lots of friends. But I can be ‘Ann’s Ren’, or ‘Ryuji’s Ren’, or ‘Minato’s Ren’, or…or ‘Goro’s Ren’ when I’m with you.” Silver eyes locked onto crimson. “Do you…am I making sense?”

Slowly, pale fingers entwined with Ren’s and a miniscule, but brilliant, smile appeared on Goro’s face. “Yeah, you are. A lot of sense, actually. I think…I feel like I’ve known you forever, and it makes me angry that I’ve met you but somehow forgot you. As soon as we talked, I felt as though I had to keep talking to you. And, for once, I didn’t have to be the Goro that adults love, or the teachers love, or the other students love…I’m all of those and none of those with you.”

Ren leaned forward, his forehead gently falling against Goro’s. “We’re the same.”

Goro titled his head to the side, eyes hooded as his smile widened. “Going to kiss me? It’s only the first date.”

“I like being proactive,” Ren murmured. His eyes fell shut as he closed the distance, lips brushing Goro’s as an intense feeling of _right_ gripped his chest. That feeling only amplified as Goro’s other hand gently carded through Ren’s hair, the brunet gently pressing back. The kiss was chaste and a little dry and a lot perfect. When they pulled apart, Ren couldn’t keep the wide grin off his face. Goro’s smirk was tempting, though, and Ren quickly dove in again for a longer, deeper kiss, which Goro was quick to oblige.

Just as Ren’s tongue traced Goro’s lips, a loud cough forced them apart. At the raised eyebrow of the server, both teens decided to call it a night. Ren paid their bill and they walked out of the club, holding hands.

“Let me walk you home,” Ren said eventually.

Goro laughed. “Absolutely not. You’ll try to come up.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“ _You're_ a bad thing. Besides, as I recall, you have friends who came specifically to visit you. Don’t be more awful than you already have been,” Goro smiled, pinching Ren’s cheek.

With a groan, Ren acquiesced, to Goro’s amusement. After an unfairly short time, they arrived at Ren’s apartment. They stood outside the door for a moment, merely looking at each other.

“I had a lot of fun, Ama— _Ren_ ,” Goro chuckled. “But don’t think I won’t be keeping an eye on you in school.”

Ren smirked, “Will you punish me if I behave badly, Mr. President?”

Goro’s arms wound around Ren’s waist, drawing the slightly shorter teen in. He hid his face in Ren’s shoulder, groaning over Ren’s laughter. Despite his attempts, Ren could see the tips of Goro’s ears were red. “I will thoroughly _ruin_ you, Amamiya.”

Ren’s arms quickly wrapped around Goro’s shoulders, intent on making Goro prove it, but then the door was thrown open and Ryuji stood in the threshold scowling at them.

“Will you two get an effing room already?!”

Ren held in a scream of frustration, but his expression was apparently too honest, because Goro snickered and pecked Ren’s forehead. “See you Monday? I assume you’re taking tomorrow off to spend with your friends.”

“Yeah, I am,” Ren pouted. “Bring me my homework?”

“You’re very lucky you’re cute. Goodnight, Ren,” Goro gave him one last chaste kiss and Ren held onto Goro’s shoulders, trying to make it last. Ryuji, screeching as if he were a parent trying to protect their child’s chastity, grabbed Ren’s collar and forcibly dragged him away from Goro’s lips. Goro laughed and waved, closing the door for them as Ryuji put Ren in a headlock.

To Ren’s dismay, his friends were all still awake, all looking at him with varying degrees of amusement.

“Ryuji,” Yusuke lamented, lowered hands still in the shape of a rectangle, “I intended on sketching that moment so that I may capture a love so complex, it defies reality. I wish you had waited just a moment longer.” Ren was secretly glad Ryuji had dragged him in, then. “I suppose I will have to sketch from memory, instead.”

Ren mentally cursed.

Makoto smirked; clearly, her own reservations over Goro weren’t going to prevent her from poking fun at Ren either. “So, what was that about _punishments_? I didn’t know you were into that, _Joker_.”

“5,000 yen says Ren is an M!” Futaba cackled.

Haru hummed and tapped her chin with her finger. “I say… _10,000_ yen that Ren-kun has a humiliation kink.”

“I’m more into crossdressing, actually,” Ren deadpanned.

Loud guffaws and whistles echoed throughout the room, rousing Yuu out of his bedroom. The silver-haired man shook his head and raised his voice. “Hey! I don’t care what you guys speculate about Ren-chan’s preferences but do it at a reasonable hour or do it quieter. Some of us still have class in the morning.”

“Yes, dad,” the group chorused, and drew into a smaller circle, Ryuji placing Ren directly in the center. With a roll of his eyes, Yuu withdrew back to his room.

“Okay,” the blond teen grinned. “Tell us everything!”

Ren fiddled with his hair, pulling his bangs back in front of his eyes. As concisely as possible, he told them all about where they went, showed them the albums he and Goro purchased, and then very briefly discussed their kiss in Club Escapade. As expected, the girls—and Ryuji—squealed and demanded details, and Ren obliged.

“But, Ren-kun,” Haru interjected, “as perfect as this date sounds, and as happy as you seem…I don’t know, I get this feeling from you like you’re not quite satisfied.”

“Of course I’m satisfied. Everything was perfect.”

Ann tilted her head, pigtails falling to the side. “If you’re sure…But wasn’t Akechi-kun kind of… _too_ nice?”

Makoto frowned, nodding. “It just…it feels like it’s not quite real, after we’ve seen the real Akechi, but perhaps this is who Akechi would have been without all the trauma Shido imposed on him after he discovered the metaverse.”

“And, we really _should_ discuss the metaverse coming back.” Sumire reminded them, a worried furrow in her brows. “I don’t…we fought too hard to gain the reality we earned. I don’t want another incident like with Dr. Maruki. If it’s back, we need to know why.”

Ren sighed. “I’m sorry. I could have found more information. Mitsuru-san had dropped by once more before you all came, but…I couldn’t quite deal with it yet. We can ask her tomorrow, if she’s available.”

“It is of no consequence, Ren,” Yusuke assured, resting a hand on Ren’s shoulder. “That’s exactly why we’re here—so you do not face this alone.”

“And Akechi?” Morgana asked, tail swishing lazily from his perch on Haru’s lap.

Ren shrugged. “We keep dating. See what happens.”

“No, Ren, I mean…well, fine. We’ll talk about it later. We should all get some rest.”

Saying quick goodnights and assembling their pillows and sleeping bags, the girls gathered in Ren’s room and the boys stayed in the living room, huddled close together. As Ryuji’s snores eventually filled the air, Ren stared at the ceiling, exhausted but restless.

“I agree with Haru,” came Morgana’s quiet voice. Ren looked down at his chest, where the cat was curled up. Morgana’s blue eyes, made larger and more luminous in the dark, pierced Ren. “You’re not satisfied. And it’s like Ann-dono said; he’s too nice. You like Akechi, but you want _that_ Akechi, the one in Maruki’s palace.”

Ren sighed. “But I won’t get him. He’s gone. This is more than enough.”

Morgana’s eyes narrowed. “Do you deserve ‘enough’? Does Akechi?” Ren’s hands clenched, nails biting into his palms, but Morgana didn’t relent. “And what about the rest of us and our feelings? Haru and Futaba are your friends and that’s why they pretend they’re fine, but are we just supposed to forget what Akechi did just because _he_ forgot?”

Ren winced, but refused to answer. Perhaps it was answer enough. Eventually, Morgana buried his head back into his paws and fell asleep. The black-haired teen let his gaze wander around the room, at each of his friends and at the room where the rest were sleeping.

It was true, what he’d said. Around Goro, there was no ‘one’ Ren he had to be. He felt as the multiple facets and possibilities within him were safe in front of Goro. He could be completely himself with Goro…with the _old_ Goro. Because, with this Goro, he didn’t feel he could expose the aspects of his personality that resonated with Asterius, or Magatsu Izanagi, or Raoul. The sudden malevolence that gripped his soul but made him feel free from the chains of expectations.

The Goro in Maruki’s palace, who delighted in rage and chaos, who loved to see Joker enraged (even if it wasn’t necessarily tactically intelligent), who snapped at Ren to do better and pushed him to his limits, never flinched when Ren condemned shadows to death with a particularly savage attack. The others tended to assume that the persona Ren used influenced him to some extent, but Goro knew better. Ren could see it when their eyes would lock after a fight, and the hunger Ren felt was matched in wine red eyes and a manic grin.

 _But he’s not like that anymore_ , Ren thought, huffing, _This Goro is enough._ Any _Goro will_ always _be enough. But…I should talk to Haru and Futaba, at least. Morgana’s right about that._

Frustrated despite himself, Ren forcibly closed his eyes and tried not to dream.

* * *

Thankfully, Mitsuru was available that next morning. Sojiro, with Ren’s help, prepared coffee for everyone and Yuu ordered breakfast to save themselves the trouble of trying to cook for so many people so early. Mitsuru, according to Minato’s disgruntled mumbles, was unfortunately a morning person and would likely drop by very early.

True to his prediction, Mitsuru appeared just after the coffee was made and declined to breakfast with them, stating that she’d already been up for hours and couldn’t possibly eat another bite. Ren noted with a hidden smile that she also gracefully ignored the baleful looks from the other girls, who muttered enviously about how put together the heiress looked.

“Then, let’s talk about this metaverse. I feel I should mention, after the application appeared on your phone…” Mitsuru held up her own smartphone, where a red eye peered at the group.

“Did you access it?” Ren asked.

“No, although I was tempted enough to check it thoroughly. I’m not sure how to use it.”

Makoto crossed her arms, “It requires a name, a place, and a distortion—or how the person views the world through their distorted heart. For Kamoshida, a disgusting teacher in our school, he viewed the school as a castle.”

Mitsuru hummed, finger stroking her chin. “So, we have to know something about the targets.”

“But those are only in the cases of large distortions. For people whose hearts have begun to show distortions, we can find them in Mementos and we only need their full name. For Shibuya, it was an underground. We would find pockets of distortions and confront the shadows of people there, changing their hearts before they manifested palaces.”

“In some cases, if we talked to them calmly enough, they changed their own hearts without us having to battle them,” Ann interjected, one of her crossed legs swinging.

Mitsuru nodded. “Amamiya mentioned that Mementos was essentially the collective unconscious. It’s very similar to the TV World, then, but more selective in how people are able to access it.”

“You mentioned that Izanami was the one who created the TV World to reflect the collective unconscious to the masses,” Ren turned to Yuu, who leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen next to Minato. “Maybe Yaldabaoth learned from her and decided to make Mementos somewhere that couldn’t be seen unless someone had access to the app.”

“Possibly. Before we figured out the truth, we were convinced of a particular culprit being responsible. The TV there reflected our beliefs of his culpability, and we nearly threw him in so he could suffer the same fate as his victims. Luckily, we realized the truth. Mementos may not be a direct mirror, but it seems to gather the desires of the collective unconscious, and form those into material beings.”

Mitsuru learned forward, “Amamiya also informed me as to how you all stole hearts in order to further your social reform. Now that you know it is possible for you to access that world again, would you be interested in joining the Shadow Operatives? I believe it would be beneficial to have an entire other faction of persona users with their own method assisting us.”

The teens all looked at each other silently. After a few moments of glancing at each other, they all turned to Ren. Ren met each of their eyes individually before nodding and turning to Mitsuru.

“They can each make their own decisions. The Phantom Thieves disbanded already. If any of us chooses to join you, it’s because we want to, but we’ve also chosen to move forward in our lives and change the hearts of people in the real world.”

“As expected of our leader,” Morgana grinned, hopping onto Ren’s lap. “That being said, count me in for this Shadow Operatives thing. Being a plain cat is boring, and they could probably use someone experienced to show them around the metaverse.”

Ren nodded. “You’d be the best for that, Mona.”

Haru smiled, bowing to Mitsuru. “Thank you for the offer, but I will continue on my path as it is now. Okumura Foods needs to regain the trust of its employees and its customers, and then we’ll work on changing the world.”

“Well said, Haru-chan,” Makoto smiled. She also bowed to Mitsuru. “Right now, I’m very busy with my studies to be a commissioner and I intend on reforming the police force once I become one. I should focus on justice in this reality, rather than the metaverse.”

Yusuke followed suit. “I will change the world with my art, and people will experience emotions they never believed possible when they see my pieces. To that end, I will never give up. I must respectfully decline.”

Ryuji hummed. “I really kind of wish I could say yes, ‘cause a huge part of me wants that feeling back again. William was a damn beast! But I made my decision already; I’m moving forward. It’s a no for me, too.”

Sumire also bowed. “I need to move forward with my dream to be an internationally renowned gymnast. And I was never actually part of the Phantom Thieves. Thank you for the offer.”

“I need to focus on high school and re-learning how to social with others besides our group. But, if the offer stays open, maybe I’ll accept it, then. I want to focus my studies in cognitive psience, so going back to the metaverse would really help my research,” Futaba twined her fingers together and bowed quickly. “So, please consider me in the future!”

“I intend on encouraging people through my modeling. I’m going to become the best model in the world and I’m going to tell my story, to give people courage to tell their stories. I apologize, but I also have to refuse,” Ann said with a rueful smile.

Finally, they all turned to Ren, silent and waiting. Ren looked down at his shoes. He had also made the decision to move forward and continue his life, but so far, that had led him to living with two other wild cards, meeting someone who instigating him finding the metaverse app on his phone again, and reuniting with Goro. Despite his various machinations in the palaces they explored, Ren preferred to go with the flow and only defy fate when it seemed unjust. To that end, he took out his phone and stared at the red eye of the metanav.

“Who else has the metanav on their phone?” he asked.

The others glanced around and then took out their phones. Even the adults obliged Ren and checked. Eventually, the other thieves shook their heads and the only affirmations came from Mitsuru, Minato, and Yuu, who Ren knew were already Shadow Operatives themselves.

“That settles it,” Ren smiled. “Count me in.”

“For real?” Ryuji asked quietly. “Not that we all have to do the same thing, but I thought you’d the one advocating that we move on with our lives the most.”

“Morgana is a great teacher, but as I understand it, the more wild cards in the Shadow Ops, the better. Besides, I didn’t have any plans beyond leaving Tokyo. Maybe taking a step back into something familiar will help me move forward into something new.”

Yusuke smiled. “Yes, that seems like a good idea. Our journeys will not always move forward in the same way, at the same time, but we will forge them forward regardless. We have made a promise, after all, and I trust we will keep it.” Ren nodded and placed a hand on Yusuke’s shoulder. The blue-haired teen patted Ren’s hand. “Now that that’s settled, may I have seconds?”

Ann burst out laughing. “Why do you never have money for food, Yusuke?”

“I saw an exquisite sale on art supplies I simply could not ignore!”

“Please just send me your venmo info, Yusuke-kun,” Haru sighed, a smile lingering on her lips.

“Oh, Yusuke! Looks like you’ve got yourself a sugar mama!” Ryuji howled.

“A very much appreciated gesture, but it is unnecessary,” Yusuke replied.

“Oh, please, Yusuke-kun, it would make me feel better if I could support you—” Haru pleaded.

“Because Ren has been supporting me financially for months now.”

“Ohhhh! So, it’s a sugar _daddy_!”

Ren shrugged. “I like my baby to have the best.” Yusuke hugged Ren’s middle, stone-faced, while the others jeered and poked at them.

Mitsuru chuckled. “You have a truly unique group here. I’m actually a bit jealous, I admit. Our group, when we worked together…we felt more like war comrades than the close friends you so clearly are.” Mitsuru looked at Minato, and they shared a smile. “I’m very glad to see the mistakes we made are not repeated in this new generation of persona users.” The redhead stood and walked towards the Velvet Room door. “I understand and respect your decisions. Morgana and Amamiya, thank you for choosing to join us. I will be sending along a packet of information, including your assignments and payment schedule, with Minato at a later date. For now, I should be going. Have a good day with your friends, Amamiya.”

As red tresses disappeared behind the blue door, Ryuji jumped up. “Wait, it’s a _paid_ position?! Come back! I’ll join! I’ll joooooiiiin!!”

* * *

Unlike Tokyo, Port Island was a relatively small, man-made island, so there was only so much the group could do. But, thankfully, there was never a dull moment with his friends. Ren led them to Paulownia Mall, where they posed around (and, in Ryuji’s unfortunate case, _in_ ) the fountain for pictures and selfies. Once they purchased dry clothes for Ryuji, they piled into the sleepy café, ordering coffee and doing their best not to complain too loudly about the significant drop in quality compared to Leblanc. They were still shown out of the establishment, with extreme prejudice.

They went clothes shopping again, and Ann cheerfully volunteered to pick out new outfits for everyone, reasoning that Ren shouldn’t be the only one with a date outfit. Ren, to Ryuji’s extreme amusement, paid for Yusuke’s clothing. They went to Mandragora, where the boys sang a stirring rendition of a _Jo-Jo’s Bizarre Adventure_ song and the girls did an impressive set of Korean pop songs ranging from Jessi to BTS. Ren and Ann also showed off their English skills, singing a variety of Disney songs, while the rest of the team dramatically acted out the scenes from the movies. They even had Morgana sing a few songs, and if the staff were confused as to why the group of teens sounded as though they were meowing through a song, no one questioned it. After spending a few hours there, the team split up to explore on their own, and Ren took advantage to speak to Haru and Futaba together, sitting on a bench in the park.

“Haru, Futaba…” he began softly.

Haru, bless her, didn’t allow him to stumble around whatever he was going to say. “You’re going to ask us if we’re okay with you and Akechi-kun dating, right?”

Ren smiled wryly. “Got it in one.”

Futaba pulled her legs up, crouching on the bench and wrapping her arms around her legs. “I think…I wish I could hear the whole story from him. I want to know if he knew what he was doing when he killed my mom. The fact that he was so surprised about how the calling card works back in Sae-san’s palace…it makes me realize that Akechi had no idea how to do a change of heart.

I did some research, and Sae-san’s case files seemed to confirm…my mom’s death was the first one of its kind. Before that, though there had been psychotic episodes for a while, there were no deaths like hers.

It’s not a lot, but…I can’t help but shake the feeling that Akechi only used his power to help ‘solve’ his crimes, but he didn’t cause mental shutdowns until Shido told him to. I think he didn’t even know what would happen, that first time. If he could only explain it to me, if I’m right…I think I could forgive him.”

Ren wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and Futaba easily leaned into his side, one of her hands gripping his shirt as she buried her head into his chest. “That’s not possible now, but I also can’t hate him. Hating him…it just takes so much out of me and I don’t want that anymore. I also want you to be happy. I think you’re a total masochist, but if Akechi makes you happy, I can move forward.” Ren wrapped his other arm around her, hugging her tightly.

“Thanks, Futaba-chan. You’re the best little sister a guy could ask for.”

“Damn right.”

Haru smiled at them and placed her hand gently on Ren’s shoulder. He turned to her, arms still encircling Futaba. “I…I need to hear what Akechi-kun has to say regarding killing my father. Until then, I can’t forgive him. Even after that, I may never forgive him. But I don’t hate him either. I recognize the circumstances that led to him making that decision. And, just as Futaba says, I want you to be happy.

Ren-kun, we put you in an impossible position. That insane plan that risked your life…I wish I never agreed to it. I was sick with worry. I saw how close you two were, how genuinely happy he was with you, but we still put you in that interrogation room where the person you clearly loved was going to kill you. How cruel of us.

And, honestly, I may not be happy to see Akechi-kun in our lives again, but we also failed him. If we had tried, we could have had Akechi-kun have a change of heart as well. We didn’t. The bare minimum we owe you is supporting you when you’ve found each other again. I still think that, until Akechi-kun recovers his memories and, at the very least, explains himself to us and especially to you, you won’t be satisfied. But I still love and support you, always. You’re my best friend, Ren.”

Ren blinked rapidly, hoping to chase away the burning behind his eyes. Keeping one arm around Futaba, Ren wrapped his other arm around Haru and drew her close as well. She wrapped her arms around Ren’s waist and reached out to hold Futaba as well. For a long while, they sat there, holding each other.

 _Someone_ understood, Ren realized. The way they spoke of the success of their plan, how they glossed over the drugs that were pumped into him, the beatings, the cuts…Ren always felt angry about it; felt that his friends were simply too cavalier with his life and his feelings and the nightmares. That one of his friends at least made an attempt to understand was more important to him than he realized it would be—that it was _Haru_ simultaneously didn’t surprise him and astounded him. Haru, who had lost so much herself, was here comforting the idiot who fell in love with her father’s murderer. Something in Ren’s chest loosened, an ever-present pressure he didn’t realize he’d carried since he’d faked his death, and he clutched Haru and Futaba closer to himself.

“ _Thank you_ ,” he whispered. The girls merely tightened their holds on him.

* * *

[ _RYUJI NEEDS A SKIRT SQUAD Chat]_

_9.5.20XX_

_Bon Jovi: Yo, where are you guys? We want to go eat dinner with Boss and Sis and then we’re heading to the club witht eh clothes Ann got us!_

_FIST! OF! JUSTICE!: *with the. Also, she’s MY sister_

_Bon Jovi: Seriously? Don’t we share her???_

_Agent Q: Renren, Haru, and I just unlocked a new level of friendship_

_Axe Murderer: Yes, we were talking in the park. We’ll meet you at the fountain!_

_Sexy Cat: New level of friendship?_

_Foxy Lady: What are the requirements to reach this next level?_

_Bon Jovi: omg Fox_

_Foxy Lady: I desire to reach this level with Ren as well._

_Princess Tutu: Me too!_

_Bon Jovi: y’all so thirsty!!!!_

_Princess Tutu: >/////<_

_Foxy Lady: Come to think of it, I am in need of a refreshment. Thank you for your concern._

_FIST! OF! JUSTICE!: How do you not know what that means…?_

_707: I love you, Yusuke <3_

_Foxy Lady: Is this how we reach the next level? Did I succeed?_

_Sexy Cat: Jesus, let’s just meet at the fountain already! I’m starving! We can all love Yusuke later!_

_Foxy Lady: Also, I love you, too, Ren <3_

_Bon Jovi: You never say you love me half as much as you do to Yusuke!!_

_FIST! OF! JUSTICE!: no_

_707: Bro_

_Bon Jovi: Bro_

_FIST! OF! JUSTICE!: NO_

_707: BRO_

_Bon Jovi: BRO_

_FIST! OF! JUSTICE!: NO NO NO_

_707: I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BRO_

_FIST! OF! JUSTICE!: DO NOT DO THIS AGAIN_

_Bon Jovi: I LOVE YOU SO MUCH MORE BRO_

_FIST! OF! JUSTICE!: WILL ALL YOU IDIOTS JUST GET TO THE DAMN FOUNTAIN ALREADY_

* * *

As they trotted into the apartment, Ren fired a quick text to Goro, letting the brunet know he’d arrived and inviting him to dinner. He smiled at Goro’s reply, which said he’d be there soon to drop off Ren’s homework and confirmed he could join. As Haru and Futaba walked in, Ren briefly squeezed each of their hands and smiled at them.

“Goro’s joining us for dinner,” he announced. Minato waved from the kitchen and set another plate out.

“Soo, we get to meet the new Akechi Goro, huh?” Ryuji scratched his temple. “I wonder what he’ll be like. I didn’t necessarily like the guy, but I preferred him when he was honest with us. And besides, if anyone knows about shitty dads, it’s definitely us.”

Yusuke chuckled. “Yes, I believe so. Speaking of, Ryuji, I did indeed finish that design for that t-shirt you wanted.”

“Oh! Our Shitty Dads Club™ shirts! Nice!”

“Who all even is in your club, Skull-senpai?” Sumire asked, giggling.

“Duh! Me, Yusuke, Haru, Morgana, Ren, and now Akechi!”

“I’d like to remind everyone that my dad is not shitty,” Ren argued as he sat down next to Yuu. Morgana promptly followed but chose Yuu’s lap and ignored Ren’s betrayed look. “He taught me how to make perfect coffee and curry.” Sojiro, who was in the kitchen showing Minato how to make curry, held a thumbs up. Yuu snorted.

“And why am I in your club?” Morgana pouted, lifting his head from Yuu’s lap. “I don’t have a father!”

“ _Exactly!_ Besides, when I told Haru, she said it would be cute if you had a shirt, too.”

“Haru does have good taste. I’ll allow it.”

Whatever Ryuji’s response was going to be, it was cut off by the doorbell. Ren immediately grinned and rushed towards the door, but was waylaid by Ann and Ryuji. Both blonds grabbed one of his arms, pulling him away from the door.

“Mona! Open the door!” Ryuji called. Morgana rolled his eyes.

With a laugh, Yuu gently placed Morgana on the couch and opened the door himself. “Hi. Goro-kun, right?”

Goro smiled pleasantly, and Ren felt his heart beat faster. “Yes, Akechi Goro. Ren invited me for dinner and…” Goro held up another sheath of papers. “I brought him his homework.”

“Honey!” Ren cried, “They won’t let me welcome you home!”

A deep red flush covered Goro’s cheeks at that as everyone laughed. The brunet ducked his head quickly, muttering quietly. Soon enough, his TV smile was back on and with a light voice and his head titled, he walked into the apartment. “Oh, Ren-kun, remind me to make sure you get cleaning duty all next week.”

Makoto laughed over Ren’s objections. “Can you do that, even as student council president?”

Goro’s eyes glinted. “I have my ways.”

Yuu closed the door. “I guess introductions are in order?” Yuu quickly and politely introduced everyone, guiding them all to the dining room. The small room was definitely not made to accommodate so many people, but stools were pushed up against the wall for people to sit. Finally, Ryuji and Ann released Ren, who immediately secured himself a stool and dragged Goro to take the seat next to him.

As Minato began serving everyone, including a small bowl for Morgana, everyone chatted amongst themselves, but the teens’ attention inevitably fell back to Goro and Ren.

“So, Ren tells us last night’s dungeon was completed with 100% success; all special items were found. Do you feel the same way, Akechi?” Futaba asked.

Goro blinked but quickly regained his smile. “Ah, yes. Mission successful. Although there are various NPCs at this particular quest, all of whom I may need to interact with individually in order to rank up my love stats, I believe I will succeed tonight as well.”

“Did you just Futaba-speak back at her? Nice,” Ryuji grinned and pointed his chopsticks at Goro. “You’re not quite as stuffy as you look.”

“I appreciate the compliment…I think.”

Futaba cackled. “He called you an NPC, Inari.”

Yusuke served himself a third plate. “It’s the 80’s, man. Time to stop thinking so old-school.” Futaba laughed louder.

Makoto pushed her hair back behind her ear, clearing her throat. “Akechi-kun, I’m just wondering, what are you going to college for? Ren wouldn’t stop gushing about your current arrangements, so I’m curious what your major is.”

Goro gave Ren a sidelong glance. Ren merely smiled back widely. “I’m majoring in criminal justice. I hope to join the police force as a detective. I used to…” Goro trailed. “I used to…?”

All conversations stopped as everyone turned to Goro. Suddenly, Goro gripped his hair with one hand, the other barely holding onto his plate. Ren rushed to grab it and set both his and Goro’s down on the counter. He grabbed a glass and filled it with water, shoving it towards the brunet. With a pained smile, Goro accepted and drained the whole glass.

“Are you okay, Akechi-kun?” Ann asked gently.

“I believe so…sometimes, I get these odd headaches. I suffered an accident some time ago, and it seems to have affected my memory. I apologize; I didn’t mean to bring the mood down.”

“Maybe we should go to my room,” Ren suggested. Goro nodded, apologized again to the others, and the black-haired teen led Goro to Ren’s room.

“Is it possible he forgot anything that had any attachment to the metaverse?” Morgana asked once the room door closed. “After all, he originally started becoming a detective because he solved the cases in the metaverse.”

“It didn’t look like an act, either,” Sumire offered.

Minato glanced at Yuu. When he caught the silver-haired man’s eyes, he opened his mouth, but no sounds came out. Yuu sighed heavily in response.

* * *

“I’m so sorry, Ren,” Goro mumbled, rubbing his temples. “I guess I won’t be improving my love stat after all.”

Ren chuckled. “I dunno, you’ve definitely charmed me. I think I’m the most important NPC, too.”

“Mission accomplished, then,” Goro smiled gently.

“And don’t worry about dinner,” Ren ran his hand on Goro’s arm, coaxing the other to relax. “They understand completely, of course, but you really didn’t ruin anything.”

Goro sighed. “I just wish I understood why those spells happened. I’ve tried writing down whatever I’m talking or thinking about before I have an episode, but none of it makes sense.”

Ren slowly took Goro’s left hand in his. It was odd to see the usually gloved hand bare, odder still to feel hands that were still calloused in the fingers and palm. Ren knew it was likely from Goro handling a sword, but figured Goro had no idea why his hands were battle-hardened. Goro merely watched him quietly, unmoving.

“Are you sure you _want_ to remember?” Ren finally asked.

Goro’s brow furrowed. “Why do I get the feeling that you know exactly what I’ve forgotten and aren’t telling me?”

Ren shook his head. “It’s not that. I’m just worried about you. If it causes you pain to try to remember…maybe it’s not worth it. Besides, what you have now is pretty nice.” Ren’s gunmetal eyes flicked up to Goro’s. “Right?”

Goro flushed and ducked his head. Before he could answer, a knock on the door startled both teens. Sharing a sheepish smile, Ren told the person to come in and Minato came through with a tupperware of curry and rice.

“Hey, Gocchan—”

“Oh, my god, mom,” Ren groaned. Goro merely blinked, mouth falling open as his cheeks blazed red.

“—we figured you might not be feeling well enough to finish eating with us and packed you some dinner. If you feel you can eat, feel free to join the stragglers still on the table.”

“I…thank you, Arisato-san.”

Minato’s brows drew together. “Absolutely not. Call me Minato, or nii-chan, or senpai. Let’s not make me older than I already am.”

“Since when do you care about your age?” Ren huffed a laugh.

“It’s dangerous to have kids after 35. Anyway, I’ll leave the curry here.” Minato placed the curry on Ren’s dresser and withdrew, closing the door.

“What.” Goro asked, voice flat.

“I have no idea how that makes any sense at all,” Ren replied, bursting into laughter. “I literally have no idea how his mind works.”

After a beat, Goro’s low laughter joined Ren’s and Ren immediately quieted, enchanted by the sound. Goro shook his head and stood, pulling Ren with him. “I think I should go.” At Ren’s pout, Goro chuckled and kissed his forehead. “Besides, your friends came to visit _you_. We have all year to hang out. I don’t want to be selfish.”

Ren sighed loudly but nodded, entwining his fingers with Goro’s as they walked out of the room. Goro made sure to grab his food and smiled at the group gathered in the living room, drinking coffee and chatting. In the dining room, Minato and Yusuke were still eating, and had been joined by a man with short, white hair, a tattered red cape, and no shirt, muttering about how great the curry was. Goro stared at the newcomer.

Goro turned to Ren. “ _What_.”

Ren shrugged. “Open door policy. That’s one of mom’s friends.”

“I…okay. Mom? What? Actually, forget it. Whatever you say.” Goro turned to everyone and waved with the hand holding his curry, Ren happily clutching to his other hand. “Goodnight, everyone. Please enjoy yourselves here and, again, I apologize for ruining dinner. I hope you all visit again, soon.” Goro’s smile slid into something more genuine. “Ren is much happier when you’re all here.”

“I-I hope we see you again too, Akechi-kun!” Haru exclaimed, and Ren stared at her. She smiled shakily back at him.

“Yeah, I’m sorry you were sick, but you didn’t ruin anything. Feel better!” Ann smiled and held Morgana up to Goro’s face. “Say bye, Mona!”

Morgana glared at Ann as everyone snickered, but relented and licked Goro’s face. Everyone laughed and Ren turned to Goro, whose smile was exceptionally strained. Ren laughed harder, holding onto Goro’s hand when the brunet tried to extricate it so he could wipe his cheek. Finally, Goro glared at Ren who merely grinned and licked Goro’s other cheek.

“Jesus Christ, Ren,” Goro groaned, cheeks pink, as the others laughed at them again. “Thank you again, everyone.”

“Get home safe, kid,” Sojiro added. “And if I don’t see you before I go, take care of Ren. The kid’s a mess.”

“I’d better walk you home,” Ren said quickly over Goro’s chuckles, “In case you feel ill again. I’ll meet you all in Club Escapade in 20, okay?” They all agreed and waved their goodbyes as Ren and Goro left, hand in hand.

As Goro had said, the walk to his apartment from Ren’s was relatively short. Within a few minutes, Goro had already pointed out an apartment block where he lived. They’d both been quiet as they walked, though the silence was comfortable. Too quickly, they arrived at Goro’s door.

“Well, this is me,” Goro said and moved to withdraw his hand from Ren’s.

“How are you feeling now?” Ren asked, holding fast.

Goro shrugged. “A little light-headed, but much better. I’ll probably go to bed right away.”

“Oh? Need something to cuddle?” Goro laughed and shoved Ren with his shoulder.

“Go _away_. Go have fun with your friends. I can tell they love you,” Goro smiled, but it didn’t brighten his eyes, “You’re lucky to have so many friends. Don’t take them for granted.”

Ren pecked Goro’s cheek. “They can be our friends. I can tell they really like you. Ryuji is not exactly subtle, after all.” Goro snorted. “And you have me here with you now, if you’re short on friends.”

Goro smirked. “Aren’t you my _boy_ friend?”

“Friend is still in the word!”

“So it is. Does that mean you’re eager to have friend privileges?”

“Only if it means I’m not downgraded from my new boyfriend privileges, too.”

Goro laughed, bright and happy, and Ren’s chest warmed. A wide smile broke out on Ren’s cheeks, unburdened by the weight of responsibilities or sacrifices. Whatever they’d experienced, they were here now, and they were together, and that was all that mattered.

“Seriously, though, you better get going. See you Monday?”

“Of course. Goodnight, Gocchan.”

Goro opened his door and shot Ren a dark glare. “I will _kill_ you.”

Shivers ran down Ren’s spine. Goro’s gaze, while not quite manic, was _so close_ to…Ren shrugged it off. There was no need to compare anymore. _This_ Goro was here and, obviously, there was much more beneath the surface for Ren to discover.

Instead, Ren smirked cockily at Goro. “Kinky.”

Goro groaned and hid his red cheeks behind his hand. “Why can’t you take anything seriously?”

Ren laughed again, leaning forward quickly to steal a kiss. “Goodnight, Goro.” He waited until the brunet closed the door, and then walked away, humming happily to himself.

* * *

Club Escapade was busier that night, filled with people dancing and louder, bass-heavy music. Thankfully, Ren could easily spot his friends and made his way over. They cheered when he came and Ryuji handed him a drink once the black-haired teen sat down.

“Damn, it went that good?” Ryuji asked, yelling over the music.

Ren nodded, unwilling to hide the wide smile he still wore. With a laugh, Ryuji turned back to his conversation with Yusuke. They continued talking and hooting, occasionally going out as a group to dance together or dance in pairs. To Ren’s embarrassment, the server remembered him from the previous night and stared him down when he ordered. Eventually, Futaba produced chopsticks and they played the King’s Game, Ren making sure to cheat so he could get the King stick each time. Once his friends figured him out, they forced him to do one dare from each of them.

Finally, the group decided to return, as Futaba was falling asleep on top of Yusuke and Makoto reminded them that they had a long drive home. Ren gently carried Futaba back to the apartment, while Ryuji challenged Makoto to a race. Surprisingly, Makoto agreed and they each picked up someone else—Ryuji picked up Ann and Makoto picked up Haru—and took off running. Sumire cheered them on, carefully cradling Morgana in her arms.

In the darkened apartment, they quickly and quietly got into bed, and Yusuke, inspired by Morgana, chose to sleep with his head on Ren’s stomach. Not to be outdone, Ryuji slept on Ren’s other side, head resting on Ren’s outstretched arm. Morgana curled up between Ren and Ryuji’s bodies, using Yusuke’s discarded pillow as a bed.

Ren, still smiling, resisted the urge to move. The warmth in his chest was overwhelming, but welcome. After everything that happened last year, and with the warning Sae had given him, Ren was half convinced he’d be fighting to stay sane this year. Within a few weeks, however, it felt like the world was finally working in his favor. In only a few weeks, he’d gained a family, found Goro again and was _already dating him_ , and he and his friends were as close as ever.

The quiet fear that distance would kill their bonds was slowly dissipating, driven away by the warmth from Ryuji’s, Yusuke’s, and Morgana’s bodies; by Haru’s stuttering acceptance of Goro, even as she likely had so much going on in her own heart; by Futaba’s embrace and wish for him to be happy; by the others’ presence here, when they had their own lives to live; and by Sae and Sojiro’s quick work to remove him from his father. Even the occasional texts from his outer circle of friends—whether it was Iwai bragging about Kaoru’s grades, Ohya informing him of her promotion, or Takemi reminding him to stay healthy—soothed the cold away.

For the first time in 17 years, Ren felt his life was perfect and was determined to hold onto it as long as he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh I'm exhausted ;;;  
> but not so exhausted I can't take constructive criticism! Hit me!


	4. “That means you guys think there’s a place for me in the real world.”

_“That means you guys think there’s a place for me in the real world.”_

* * *

Sojiro, Ren, Sae, Minato, and Yuu stood outside, watching the rest of the thieves pack their bags in the large, Mona-style van that they’d rented the next morning. Once the girls woke, they teased the boys briefly for cuddling, only to immediately demand that they also be allowed to cuddle with Ren. By the time Minato and Yuu woke up, Ren was in the middle of a very happy, if somewhat awkward, hug harem. Yuu shrugged it off, apparently having been subjected to something similar while Minato muttered something about ‘Yukari would never’.

The teens had stayed like that for a while, cuddling and talking about their futures and their hopes and promising to keep in touch. When Sae and Sojiro arrived to say goodbye and share breakfast, the teens reluctantly broke apart to pack and clean up. After another lively breakfast and after giving Yusuke his monthly allowance (which Ren well knew Yusuke would spend in a week), the group walked out to leave.

It was, as Makoto had said, going to be a long drive to Tokyo; made more so since Makoto would be dropping them all off at their respective homes. Thankfully, the agents who had attempted to spy on Ren on his way back to his hometown apparently had no jurisdiction in Iwatodai, a tiny fact Ren learned when he realized that Mitsuru was of the same family who created Tatsumi Port Island.

As the others argued over their seating placement, Ren turned to Sae and Sojiro with a small smile and watery eyes. “Thank you. When will we hear about the decision?”

Sae smiled, her hand resting on Ren’s shoulder. “In a few months. Until then, you’re currently a ward of the state and the state has approved your living with your ‘brother’. Going by what you said, your dad isn’t interested in keeping you and your mother’s abandonment of you and subsequent divorce filing from your father means she legally gave up her rights to be your guardian. So, really, we’re just waiting on your father. Once he approves it and sends back the paperwork, it’ll take some time to process, but you’ll officially be part of the Sakura family before the end of the year.”

Futaba ran over and threw herself into Ren, hugging him tightly around his middle. “And we’ll be real brother and sister!”

Ren smiled gently at her, patting her head. “We’re siblings no matter what. This is just that extra, double official seal.”

“Ah, Ren, I know your last name really suits you,” Sojiro began, gruffly clearing his throat. “But would you _want_ to be…Sakura Ren?”

Ren’s face crumpled and he quickly ducked his head, grabbing at Sojiro’s shirt to roughly pull the man in. Surprised, Sojiro easily complied, arms up and uncertain. Ren whipped his glasses off, throwing them away, and buried his head in Sojiro’s chest. Sojiro smiled gently at them, wrapped his arms around both kids, and didn’t mention the growing spot of wetness where Ren’s face was. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

The others eventually came over and joined in the hug, Morgana hopping onto Ren’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Sae reminded them of the time and with sad groans and boos, the teens let go until finally only Ren was left hugging Sojiro. Ren looked up with slightly reddened eyes and a red nose, smiling.

“Thank you, dad.”

Sojiro patted his head and looked away, his other hand trying to discreetly wipe his eyes. “’Course, son.”

Ren turned to the others with a larger smile. “Thanks so much for coming, you guys. I needed this.”

“As if you could get rid of us!” Ryuji laughed, hanging out of the side of the van. Finally, they closed all the doors, and Ren waved at them as they drove away. Sojiro and Sae stood and watched as well, before they too said their goodbyes.

“Take good care of him for me until I can take him back,” Sojiro asked, shaking hands with Minato and Yuu.

“Of course,” Yuu nodded.

“Only if you send me your recipe,” Minato attempted to bargain.

Sae, meanwhile, turned back to Ren, lips in a severe line. “Ren…I know you’re a great kid, so there’s no one else I can entrust this to. I feel…no, I _know_ that Akechi-kun was a scared kid backed into a corner. He let his rage consume him and he made _awful_ decisions. But, when he helped me on my cases, he was the only one who believed in me and respected me, even if he was occasionally a cheeky brat—and I don’t think any of that was part of the act. So, please…take care of yourself and take care of him. For me.”

Ren nodded, shaking Sae’s hand. “You can count on me.”

“And me!” Morgana crowed from Ren’s shoulder, even if Sae only heard a meow. Sae laughed and pet Morgana, seemingly understanding regardless.

With a few final hugs—Sae even hugged Ren tightly—Sojiro and Sae drove off in Sojiro’s yellow car. Ren waved until the car disappeared in the horizon. Some of the warmth was with him, but it was still lonely to see his friends and family drive away. Yuu and Mintao came up beside Ren, each placing a gentle hand on one of his shoulders. Morgana purred and rubbed his head against Ren’s. He smiled back and nodded.

“I’m okay.”

“Good. Let’s clean up upstairs and then you can get to know Aki. He’s coming back today and you’ll probably love hearing what he has to say. He’s one of the founding members of the Shadow Operatives.”

“The future is looking bright, guys. Let’s make the most of it,” Yuu grinned.

With a nod, Ren turned to go back inside. Morgana hopped down, grabbing Ren’s glasses, and they all walked back into the apartment.

* * *

“Mina-chan!” a deep voice called much later in the afternoon, while Ren was doing homework at the coffee table. The call didn’t come from outside the apartment, though, so Ren directed his gaze to the Velvet Room door. Seconds later, the same brawny, white-haired man walked through—and he was shirtless, again.

“Oh hey, you must be the new guy,” the man said with a smile. “My name is Sanada Akihiko. Nice to meet you.”

“Aki-chan!” eventually came from Minato’s room and the blue-haired man followed, with his signature low-key smile. “Nice to see you still repel shirts.”

“Oh, so I’m not imagining that,” Ren quipped.

“Unfortunately not,” Morgana grumbled from his place on the couch.

“Did that cat just talk?!” Akihiko cried, jumping away from Morgana.

Ren laughed. “Maybe we should let Kirijo-san know to tell all the Shadow Operatives that a talking cat will be joining soon, and they shouldn’t be surprised.”

“I feel so cheated,” Akihiko muttered, petting Morgana. “I wish Koro-chan could talk.”

“Koro-chan?”

“Our dog,” Akihiko smiled, but the look in his eyes was faraway. “He was such a good dog. Followed orders well, super intelligent, and his persona was super strong. Only Aigis could talk to him, though.”

Ren’s eyebrows raised. “I feel like I shouldn’t be surprised, but…Also, you keep using past tense. He’s not…?”

“Oh! Oh, no! He’s still alive. He’s just a really old dog now, and as much as he still wants to fight, we’ve decided it’s better that he spends his last few years relaxing. One of our members was kind of young when our whole thing happened, so now he’s taken Koro-chan in while he’s in college.”

Ren smiled at Morgana. “You ever gonna retire, Mona?”

“Me! Never!” Morgana huffed as he leaned into Akihiko’s pets.

“Aki-chan, can you do me a favor and talk to Ren-chan a bit about what we as Operatives do? I’d explain, but I get tired of talking fairly quickly…” Minato asked as he walked by. He patted Akihiko’s shoulder and grinned. “I’ll make beef bowls if you do.”

Akihiko chuckled. “Well, I’m not going to turn that down. Sure thing, Mina-chan. Yuu! Get out here!”

With a grumble, Yuu came out of his bedroom, and it was clear that they’d interrupted Yuu’s nap. Regardless, Yuu dropped onto the couch on Ren’s side and Akihiko sat on the arm of the chair beside Yuu. Efficiently, Akihiko explained how the group was founded, what their mission was, and how they carried out assignments. He explained the many issues they’d faced, and added a bit more depth to the shallow explanation Minato had previously provided.

Yuu, more awake, also supplied his own experiences as a wild card, and how he and Minato were only ever deployed together for especially hard missions; otherwise, wild cards tended to go with a team of other persona users who only had one mask. Yuu also pulled out an album, where he pointed out all the members of the Shadow Operatives, the other friends who frequently came by, and the other wild cards they’d met. Ren chuckled at the picture of all the Wild Cards together, where Minako wore sunglasses and a crooked crown and forced Yuu, Minato, Naoya, and Tatsuya to pose around her as though they were bowing.

Yuu smiled at Ren. “Looks like we’re going to have to call them so we can take another wild card photo together.” Ren fidgeted with his hair, a pleased smile on his face.

Minato came into the room, carrying four bowls. Yuu immediately rushed over to help him and they sat around the couch, eating and sharing more stories. Akihiko coaxed Ren into talking about the metaverse and Mementos, and Morgana happily interjected whenever Yuu wasn’t feeding the cat from his own bowl.

“So, I won’t get to work with Minato and Yuu unless it’s a really hard mission?” Ren pouted. “I wanted to see whose persona was coolest.”

Minato snorted. “Oh, please. Messiah told me you’ve been borrowing him. Traitor.”

Yuu similarly did not look impressed. “I hear quite a bit of the same from Izanagi-no-Okami.”

Minato poked Ren. “As I understand it, you’ve got the ability to borrow persona from users previously touched by Philemon, even if they weren’t necessarily wild cards in the traditional sense. And I thought I was the favorite.”

Ren laughed, rubbing his forehead. “Maybe I should keep my mouth shut.”

“So, when are you starting, Ren? Mona?” Akihiko asked.

Minato answered for him. “Next week they’ll receive their information packets, fill out the applications, and they should receive their badges the day after that. They’ll get some time to train in Tartarus for one week, the TV World for another—”

“Remind me to text Teddie,” Yuu mumbled around a bit of food.

“—and finally train in the metaverse for one week. Once you’ve trained, under someone’s direct observation, we’ll start assigning missions. Since you and Mona are the only Phantom Thieves with knowledge of how to infiltrate palaces, you’ll likely be heading any missions like that with your own team. Mind being leader again?”

Ren shrugged. “Guess not, unless you want the gig, Mona?”

Morgana’s tail swished waspishly. “So that I have to worry about leading _and_ navigating? No way.”

Ren sighed. “Yeah, true. I can’t wait til Oracle joins already.”

“Oh man, I’m really excited to go into this new world,” Akihiko smirked. “I can’t wait to try out my skills there. I’ll need a codename, right?”

“It’ll probably be Muscles or Sandy,” Minato deadpanned.

“Sometimes I can’t tell if you love me or hate me, Mina-chan.”

Ren chuckled. It was going to be an interesting few weeks.

* * *

_[GOCCHAN <3S RENCHAN Chat]_

_12.5.20XX_

_Prince Goro: Oh, my god, Ren. How are you embarrassing even over chat?_

_Princess Ren: uwu <3333_

_Prince Goro: I can not with you_

_Princess Ren: But you do anyway <3_

_Prince Goro: …Well, yes._

_Prince Goro: heart emoji_

_Princess Ren: OMGGGG_

_Princess Ren: MY HEART_

_Princess Ren: UR TOO CUTE ASDFGHJK_

_Prince Goro: I shouldn’t have encouraged you_

_Princess Ren: IM GOING 2 DIE I NEED U TO KISS ME BACK TO LIFE_

_Prince Goro: I’m going to get you back for this one day_

_Prince Goro: …Do you need that kiss right now?_

_Princess Ren: YAAAASSSS_

_Princess Ren: come over rn and kiss me ;-*_

_Prince Goro: You’re so weird._

_Prince Goro: I’m on my way._

_Prince Goro: kiss emoji_

_Princess Ren: AHHHHHHHH <33333_

* * *

_[JESUS IS MY BRO Chat]_

_19.5.20XX_

_Jesus: Tartarus training today. Hope you didn’t forget._

_Peter: awwww mom I was gonna surprise Goro w a date_

_Jesus: Sorry, bb. Make it an afternoon date. Not like we can go during the day_

_Peter: ur an actual genius._

_Jesus: Tell Yuu that._

_Jesus: Also, take-out for dinner?_

_Peter: y did u stop cooking when my frens left :-(_

_Jesus: Takoyaki it is._

_Peter: don’t u love me nemore_

_Jesus: Not enough to cook today_

_Peter: </3_

_Peter: Mona says u promised fatty tuna_

_Jesus: I lied_

_Peter: lmaoooo_

* * *

_[OTHER DAD Chat]_

_25.5.20XX_

_Glasses Senpai: TV World training this week! You’re with me._

_Glasses Senpai: I’ve got the glasses you’ll need to be able to see in there_

_Baby Glasses: will that work with my mask???_

_Glasses Senpai: Oh. Guess we’ll find out!_

_Baby Glasses: yuu-tan, can u also tell chie-san and akihiko-san that I’ll c them @ the beef bowl shop soon._

_Glasses Senpai: You aren’t._

_Baby Glasses: I must defend my honor_

_Glasses Senpai: All three of you are going to die from over-inflated stomachs_

_Baby Glasses: all I wanna do_

_Baby Glasses: is eat a beef bowl to_

_Baby Glasses: restore my honor! ~restore my honor~_

_Baby Glasses: all I wanna be_

_Baby Glasses: is someone who gets to eat_

_Glasses Senpai: Don’t forget to study_

_Baby Glasses: UUUUGGGHH_

* * *

_[GOCCHAN <3S RENCHAN Chat]_

_29.5.20XX_

_Prince Goro: Are we still studying tonight?_

_Princess Ren: In the evening, but I might be a bit tired._

_Prince Goro: Oh, my god. You’re using whole words and punctuation. Are you all right?_

_Princess Ren: lmao_

_Princess Ren: ya, totally._

_Prince Goro: Ren._

_Prince Goro: You can’t lie to me, even over the phone._

_Princess Ren: Ahhhh okay_

_Princess Ren: Just…feeling overwhelmed? I’m doing some hardcore work for mom and Yuu-tan, and I don’t mind_

_Princess Ren: But on top of honor student stuff—which, whomst the fuck do I talk to about that shit??—it’s a lot_

_Princess Ren: I’m exhausted and I just want to sleep and stop…being for one day_

_Prince Goro: I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were so overworked._

_Princess Ren: And I know I shouldn’t complain, because I know you have literally four times the work I do_

_Princess Ren: but you still go out of your way to study with me and make sure my grades are good_

_Prince Goro: Ren…_

_Princess Ren: and you’re even helping me look at all these colleges and scholarships and study for exams and just_

_Princess Ren: I’m sorry_

_Prince Goro: Don’t be sorry. Looks like we’re both a little…stressed._

_Prince Goro: Know what? Instead of studying tonight, let’s do something else. What do you do to relax?_

_Princess Ren: omg_

_Princess Ren: did u rly just say that_

_Prince Goro: Jesus Christ, Ren._

_Prince Goro: Movie and snacks it is. Grab some DVDs. Make sure they’re Featherman or I’ll kill you._

_Princess Ren: ur my dream girl_

* * *

_[WE ALL LOVE YUSUKE Chat]_

_4.6.20XX_

_Billy Idol: BRO! How is your training going? You guys are in Mementos this week, yeah?_

_I lived bitch: ya. It was brutal. Mitsuru-san has zero chill about schedules_

_I lived bitch: and of course my mom is a fucking drill sergeant when u get him fighting_

_I lived bitch: and OF COURSE yuu-tan is crazy efficient when it comes to regimens_

_I lived bitch: how am I alive???_

_I lived bitch: Mona says hi <3_

_Van Gogh: It seems you’ve faced some truly unimaginable trials these last few weeks. I commend you on your fortitude._

_Sailor Moon: And I thought my workout schedule was bad._

_Sailor Moon: Hi Morgana!! <3_

_Vegeta: Mona!! <3_

_UFO: But ur training ends this week, rite?_

_UFO: Hacked ur schedule ;)_

_I lived bitch: ya. Miss u bb sis :-*_

_UFO: T^T I miss you 2 big bro_

_Billy Idol: BRO_

_I lived bitch: BRO_

_Knuckles: DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE_

_Vegeta: Mako-chan, I wish I knew why you hate it so much when they do that_

_Knuckles: Haru-chan, they literally did that in front of everyone in my class at university_

_Capoeira: How???_

_Knuckles: They fucking snuck in! They said there wasn’t enough love in my life_

_Billy Idol: Our love is pure_

_I lived bitch: Our love is true_

_Billy Idol: Our love is bro_

_Van Gogh: How beautiful_

_Knuckles: DO NOT_

_Capoeira: So what happens after you finish training?_

_I lived bitch: Mona and I lead our own team on our first mission!! (_ _∩`_ _ω´)_ _⊃))_

_UFO: w00t!_

_Billy Idol: How’s GoRoChaN~~~~_

_I lived bitch: u keep his name out of ur hoe mouth_

_I lived bitch: my prince is perfect uwu_

_Knuckles: Poor Akechi-kun. Stuck with the thirstiest bitch to ever thirst_

_I lived bitch: rUDEE_

* * *

_[5 WEEK ANNIVERSARY!!! Chat]_

_11.6.20XX_

_Renren: I’m finally free from all that work!!!_

_Gocchan: Full words and punctuation again?_

_Gocchan: Are you all right?_

_Renren: I am! But I wanted to use PROPER NIHONGO to ask you something_

_Gocchan: Oh! Go ahead?_

_Renren: Since our fifth week anniversary is coming up…_

_Gocchan: You would keep track of that._

_Renren: Let’s do something special! Let’s take a trip._

_Gocchan: Where to?_

_Renren: I found an onsen not too outside of Port Island. It’ll be a nice day trip. We can sleep over on Saturday and come back Sunday._

_Gocchan: Oh? Sleep over?_

_Renren: ;-* Yes. Sleep over. In the same bed._

_Gocchan: ;-*_

_Renren: OMG_

_Gocchan: It’s a date. <3_

_Renren: My life is complete right now. <33333_

* * *

Ren, Morgana, and Yuu idled next to the Velvet Room Door in the living room, scrolling through their phones—or, in Morgana’s case, peering over Ren’s shoulder. After three long, grueling weeks of training in new and old worlds, and a very much needed break and weekend trip with the loveliest boyfriend in the world, Ren was ready to take on his first mission in Mementos as a Shadow Operative. As soon as Akihiko arrived—the man insisted on being part of the first mission—they would take the doorway through to the Velvet Room door in Central Station. Accessing the navapp from Paulownia Mall had only resulted in Ren, Morgana, and Mitsuru standing in a cognitive version of the mall, but unable to access Mementos from their location.

Finally, Akihiko ran through the door, miraculously wearing a shirt, panting and grinning. “Sorry. Mitsuru was giving me one of her ‘don’t go overboard speeches.’” The others nodded in sympathy.

“All right, then,” Ren said, gripping the doorknob again and feeling the slight shift in energy, “It’s showtime.”

In moments, they appeared in the top floor of Mementos and Ren’s Phantom clothes manifested on him like a comforting embrace. Morgana, who had been on Ren’s shoulder, had morphed to his metaverse form, and hopped down to stand on his own hind legs. Ren turned, excited to see what the rebellion forms of his senpai would be. Akihiko’s shirt disappeared; in its place was the same ragged, red cape tied around Akihiko’s neck. His hands were snugly encased in kickboxing gloves and the tan sweats he wore were stuffed into matching red boxing boots. On his left thigh, tattered bandages made a makeshift gun holster for a silver gun, and the belt looped low on Akihiko’s waist encased a large hunting knife.

Yuu, meanwhile, wore a large black coat with red lining, which split into two long tails extended behind him from the waist down. Above the waist, the coat was securely closed, and the collar was popped, covering Yuu’s ears. His black pants met silver, knee-high boots. His silver fringe covered the white bandana on his head, the ends of which were almost impractically long. Finally, bright yellow glasses shielded his eyes. A long sword was held tightly in his grip.

Ren stared.

“Yuu-tan stole my look.”

Yuu looked down at himself. “What?! No! I think…I actually kind of look like Izanagi.”

Ren’s eyes narrowed. “I’m definitely using Izanagi-no-Okami now and you can’t stop me.”

“Brat.”

Transformations thoroughly explored, Morgana promptly turned into the Monabus and the three men piled inside, driving around the floors. Although the world was fairly split on the idea of the Phantom Thieves existing, and Ren had confidence that less people were using the site because they wanted to solve their problems with their own power, the forum still had a few hits of really serious incidents. As their first mission, Ren was leading them to find an Ishimoto Kou; similar to Nakanohara, this man had been stalking various women. He had also taken pictures of those women in intimate moments and had been threatening to post the pictures online in exchange for favors. Thankfully, the man’s hubris led to him revealing his name to several of the women.

As they searched Mementos for the telltale warped tracks and swirls of red, Ren indulged himself to his musing. The short period they spent training in Mementos had reminded Ren of the darker aspects of humanity he’d briefly forgotten about. The black-haired teen wondered if this what Goro had had to contend with as a child; having already experienced the worst of humanity in reality, only to discover that the deeper aspects that people tried to hide were worse. Did Goro feel more trapped? As paranoid as the brunet was, Ren wouldn’t put it past Goro to investigate people who tried to become closer to Goro within Mementos; were their true colors more awful than Goro expected? Did they cement Goro’s belief that no one could love him beyond his usefulness?

Ren’s lips thinned to severe line. It didn’t matter now. Now, Goro had Ren as a friend and a lover; now, Goro was focused only on being a model student with an admirable career in the police force, instead of being a double agent. One day, Goro would become the greatest detective since Shirogane Naoto, and he, Makoto, and Sae would all work together to ensure that the corrupt justice system would work in favor of those most in need. _That_ was Goro’s destiny now, despite whatever machinations malevolent gods planned around them. And Ren was positive that Goro would be able to develop more friendships soon, even though Ren was the only one Goro allowed to get close.

Over the last few weeks, Goro had come over often and spent time with Ren, Yuu, and Minato. Although Yuu and Goro tended to talk often, thanks to their shared interested in investigating, Ren noticed that Minato’s quiet acceptance was slowly winning over Goro’s more genuine expressions. Goro had laughed when Ren pointed out that he’d be adopted soon, if Goro kept coming over.

“It’s so odd,” the brunet had said. “It’s like both of them are one half of you. I can’t help talking to Narukami-san, like I’m compelled, because he’s so earnest and loyal. And I can’t help feeling comfortable around Arisato-san, because he’s so mature and kind. And, somehow, you’ve inherited all their traits, and then some.”

“And then some?” Ren had teased.

“Well, I have no idea where all that sass comes from.”

Despite all that, however, Goro was strangely resistant to the pull of the other wild cards. For whatever reason, the only one who could completely get Goro to open up was Ren, something Ren was hesitant to attribute to their Confidant bond. It was a topic of frequent deliberation between the three, wondering why Goro could only form a Confidant bond with Ren, and was unable to form bonds with others.

Yuu had wondered if that ability had been impaired by Yaldabaoth, but Ren figured if that were true, he would be able to establish those bonds now.

Minato had visibly struggled, before sighing and hypothesizing that it simply wasn’t _time_ yet.

Ren had wondered at the obvious double meaning there, speculating for days, but all his questions were met with regretful faces and shaking heads, and Ren realized whatever it was, he had to deal with the journey all wild cards undertook.

 _The final arcana you have acquired is ‘The World’. It is the power for an individual to stand on their own two feet, swayed by none. That power shall fuel the hope shared amongst your friends and yourself, to strive towards a better future._ _With ‘The World,’ you are no longer without a place to belong, and will never trudge a path alone again._

Ren frowned to himself. By what Lavenza had said, it was strongly suggested that his journey as the Trickster had come to an end. Even Yuu had mentioned once that acquiring The World signified a completeness in one’s heart; should they face hardships on their journeys, they would never waver. In fact, Ren’s introduction to Iwatodai was a small testament to that fact. Rather than accept the reality of living with his father, Ren had sought the refuge of the bonds he’d forged, had sought out people even outside of his arcana, and rebelled. Now, Ren lived with a real family and the fears that plagued him about his friendships since Maruki’s palace had been dispelled. Ren closed his eyes, focusing on his bonds deeply and his mouth dropped open in an ‘o’ of surprise.

Ren had been relentless in forging his bonds; after all, his probation was hardly the first thing that isolated him in his small town, and so being able to find friends who needed him was something he was willing to nurture. As he examined the strong threads that made up his bonds, he noted that many were at **_Rank Max_** , as they had been since the day he left. Igor, Maruki, Makoto, Yusuke, Sumire, Ann, Chihaya, Iwai, Takemi, Kawakami, and more were all mostly the same—exceptionally strong and unbreakable—the irony of which was not lost of Ren—but unchanging. But others…

**_Magician – Morgana – Rank Max +_ **

**_Empress – Okumura Haru – Rank Max +_ **

**_Hierophant – Sakura Sojiro – Rank Max +_ **

**_Chariot – Sakamoto Ryuji – Rank Max +_ **

**_Justice – Akechi Goro – Rank 1_ **

**_Hermit – Sakura Futaba – Rank Max +_ **

**_Strength – Lavenza – Rank Max +_ **

**_Judgement – Nijima Sae – Rank Max +_ **

**_The World – Narukami Yuu – Rank 3_ **

**_The Universe – Arisato Minato – Rank 9_ **

Ren didn’t realize that his bonds could be stronger, but admittedly, his long talk with Futaba and Haru had unlocked something in his chest he hadn’t realized was chained. Similarly, his long talks with Morgana, who could probably read him more easily than anyone, made him feel like he truly had a partner. Perhaps…that was the point? As the chains of life attempted to latch onto Ren again, his friendships would fend them off? It was reassuring, but would be more so if Lavenza or Igor had bothered to explain it.

The World made sense. Even though he forged it when his journey ended, a gift from Igor and Lavenza, Yuu being attributed to it was logical to Ren. Yuu opened the world for Ren by simply existing. Yuu’s unrelenting drive to free Minato from the chains that had once encased him in gold led to a world where Ren had a refuge, a family, and a home. Getting to know Yuu, and his unerring sense of morality, tempered by his levelheadedness, kept Ren grounded. Minato was a calm and wise presence, but Minato tended to get lost in his own mind often, revisiting the multiple realities he’d seen as the Great Seal, forgetting that there was a reality to exist in. Yuu would always pull the blue-haired man back, remind him of this reality, and Ren was finding that Yuu could do the same for him. There was something about Yuu’s dependability, practicality, and occasional recklessness that reminded Ren to live here, in the now, in the world where he would never be alone again.

The fact that he had acquired yet another arcana in the form of the Universe was surprising, but Ren accepted it easily. He still remembered the day that a tall blonde in blue, who looked as if she could’ve been the twins’ mother, pulled him from his sleep and asked him to help save someone dear to her; he remembered lifting his hand to cast _Great Seal_ , watching a blue haired boy as young as him stare down what looked to be a god; and he was inspired when Minato fought and wrenched his life back. Beyond fighting for his friends, preventing the ruin, and avenging Goro, it was Minato’s drive to live again that reminded Ren that—just once—he’d been part of a group that defied a god already and he could do it again. He also remembered that being, Nyx, calling Minato the “child of the universe” at that time.

The only really troubling feeling was that his bond with Goro had been reset somehow, defaulting back to Rank 1. While Ren could explain that away somewhat—Goro lost his memory, so he doesn’t remember their bond growing, and bonds _are_ two-way streets—Ren found it odd that his rank was still so low. Soon, they’d be celebrating their two-month anniversary as a couple; Ren _knew_ Goro was more honest with Ren than he ever was before; and they spent time together all the time, helping each other slowly come more out of their shells. Just as Ren was encouraging Goro to be more honest with Ren and with himself, Goro encouraged Ren to reach out to more people beyond his confidants and to stop hiding his emotions to make others comfortable.

Ren snorted. It seems he and Goro had much more in common than Goro expected, though they presented it differently.

Ren swallowed, pulling at his red glove. If…If their rank was still so low, did that mean that Goro and Ren were not as close as Ren thought they were? Was Ren doing something wrong?

Fortunately, they found their target, and Ren was able to push his thoughts away, focusing on the belligerent shadow in front of them. Fittingly, the man exploded into a Black Ooze. Willing his face not to show his disgust, Ren efficiently began barking orders, arranging his line to his liking. Despite the way he seemed, Ren took pride in his meticulous planning and strategies for fighting in the metaverse, and anything less than a quick, merciless win grated on his nerves. The advantage of being a wild card, to Ren, was his adaptability to fill in the gaps left by the other persona users in his team. It was why he insisted on keeping a list of all his teammates’ abilities, made sure they frequently updated their skills, and why he demanded the same from Akihiko and Yuu. And now, as his first excursion to really prove to Yuu, and the other Shadow Operatives by extension, that he was capable to be a leader for a larger organization, Ren was not inclined to have anything but a decisive win.

“Sandy!” he called, addressing a sputtering Akihiko, “Ziodyne, now!” Quickly, Akihiko got over his codename and complied, knocking down the shadow. At that, Ren stopped being Ren and Joker emerged with a wide, cocky grin. “Finish him! All out attack!”

The battle was over in seconds and Ishimoto’s hunched form, devoid of aggression, appeared as the ooze drained away from his shadow.

“I just wanted someone to love me…” he whimpered.

“Was that love?” Ren asked, and the shadow broke into wild sobs, apologizing repeatedly. After telling the shadow to apologize to his victims and turn himself in, Ishimoto was replaced by a bright, shining orb and Ren was quick to grab the treasure.

“Great job, Joker,” Yuu smiled. “I’d say a perfect execution, not that I had any doubts.”

“Please never call me Sandy again,” Akihiko groaned. “But what happens now?”

Ren shrugged, pulling out his phone, bringing up the list of names he had. “We keep going. There should be three more targets. Mona?”

“None in Chemdah. We’ll need to move to another area,” the cat replied.

Nods all around, and they boarded the Monabus again. As Ren fiddled with his phone, Akihiko grinned at Ren from the back, folding his arms over the back of Ren’s seat and resting his chin there. “So, I hear you’re basically already married? Tell me about this kid, uh…Amaya Gima, was it?”

Yuu laughed. “Oh, my god, Akihiko-san. How did you get a name so wrong? His name is Akechi Goro.”

_Result found._

Yuu slammed on the brakes, just in time for Morgana to transform back into a cat, dropping the three boys unceremoniously to the ground.

“What the hell?” Morgana cried, immediately turning to Ren.

“Did that mean what I think it meant?” Yuu asked.

Akihiko looked between the two. “Wait…phones don’t work down here, right? The only app that works is the metanav. Does that mean that sound came from the nav app? Did something trigger it?”

Ren, shaking, held his hand out to Yuu. After a second of hesitation, Yuu handed Ren his phone. Taking a deep breath, Ren repeated the words.

“Akechi Goro.”

 _Result found_.

“That doesn’t have to mean anything, though, right? It could mean he has a shadow?” Akihiko asked.

Morgana crossed his arms. “No. If the app is reacting in that way, it means we’ve begun entering the information for navigation; it means Akechi has a full-blown Palace.”

Yuu stroked his chin. “Only those with strong distorted desires have palaces…but Futaba-chan had one, too, right? That means whatever palace Goro-chan has, it might not be one that’s based on selfish desires.”

Akihiko grimaced. “This is wild. Maybe…maybe we should call it for a day. This can’t be easy to process, and you don’t want to make a mistake in any version of a shadow-infested world.”

Woodenly, Ren nodded and used a Goho-M to transport them back to the turnstiles on the first floor. The Velvet Room cell door that had previously been missing reappeared there, though Lavenza was not attending it. With an uncertain wave, Akihiko passed through first, only to immediately back out.

“I guess we can’t use that door. I walked into a cell.”

Ren looked at it, but knew he didn’t have it in him to deal with the weaving mysteries Igor and Lavenza would provide him with. For now, he needed to go home. They left Mementos and quickly found another Velvet Room door, this time mimicking a regular wooden door, and were able to take it back to Yuu and Minato’s apartment. Akihiko patted Ren’s shoulder and then went home. Yuu forced Ren to sit down on the couch and dragged a curious Minato to the bedroom to explain the situation. Morgana remained on Ren’s lap, a comforting presence keeping Ren afloat.

Desperate to think about anything else, Ren glanced at the mail tossed on the coffee table and perked, seeing his name on an official looking envelope.

Suddenly, Ren felt as though he could hear the rattle of chains.

Slowly, ignoring Morgana’s curious looks, Ren picked up the thick envelope and opened it, swallowing when he saw the official seal from child welfare services. The first packet was the original application for his change in guardianship.

On the final page was a large, red _DENIED_ stamp. The papers fell from his hands.

Numb, Ren checked his phone again, noticing that he had missed a message from Sojiro.

_[COFFEE DAD Chat]_

_15.6.20XX_

_Papa: Ren, I’m so sorry_

_Kid: Sojiro what’s going on_

_Papa: I don’t understand why, but your dad is contesting the guardianship_

_Papa: And he’s saying he never gave permission for you to leave the house, so he’s demanding you come back_

_Papa: You’re considered a runaway now. The police might come to get you_

_Papa: I don’t know exactly what’s going on or what’ll happen, but don’t worry, we’ll fix it somehow_

_Papa: Ren?_

_Papa: Ren, please answer me_

The air left the room and Ren’s phone fell from slack fingers. Morgana’s pleading voice was white noise as Ren realized what had happened. All of a sudden, the chains of the world had fastened themselves back to his heart and he could feel the weight of them dragging him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol yeah, of course his whole life is gonna fall apart now that it's perfect. Who reads stories to see someone be happy????


	5. Does this mean we’ll never meet again…?

_Does this mean we’ll never meet again…?_

* * *

The police were waiting for Ren at Gekkoukan High. Students around him whispered and speculated as two officers questioned Ren on his current whereabouts and asked him to accompany them back to the station. Despite Mitsuru’s obvious sway in the city, it seemed she couldn’t convince them to at least try to approach Ren in private.

Instead, as Ren walked out of school the next day, feet dragging, an officer grabbed his arm just above his elbow and guided Ren into a car. Ren knew he’d likely have a bruise there. Morgana hissed quietly, but otherwise stayed unmoving in Ren’s bag. Beside Ren in the backseat was a social worker, who tried to gently pry answers out of Ren, but the only answer he gave was “I don’t want to go back.”

Ren knew already that emotional neglect was not enough of a reason for an over encumbered system to care about him and make any attempt to build a case against his father. His father had never laid a hand on Ren, but he also mentioned enough times that he never wanted Ren. He had evidently only wanted to be married to Ren’s mother and, the few times he hid in the hallway, Ren could sometimes see a shadow of what appeared to be a deep and genuine love.

But when Ren’s mother slowly began to pull away, when Ren got caught doing things he shouldn’t have, the final straw in the coffin became Ren’s probation. Overwhelmed and angry, his mother walked out on them. She stayed in a hotel and the last time Ren saw her, she saw him off at the station before he was sent to Tokyo. She had hugged him and apologized. She never said what she was apologizing for. His father didn’t bother accompanying Ren to the station.

When Ren arrived in Tokyo, he was so _angry_. Tired of being the “weird one” for being quiet (there was just no one interesting enough to talk to); tired of following arbitrary rules that were made to punish him specifically (how could he help that he made a sound upstairs? He _existed_ and that wasn’t _his fault_ ); and tired of shitty adults like his parents and Shido destroying his life just because they could (because he hadn’t yet learned how to fight back).

He would never regret helping that woman, even if he was punished for breaking his curfew and even if it meant a permanent black mark on his record. He would never regret helping his friends. He would never, ever hesitate to help anyone in need. But it was that drive to right the wrongs that plagued him and the people around him, the ability given to him to rebel, that kept him from doing something drastically violent sometimes.

 _Because being a good person shouldn’t be a punishable offense_.

And right now, sitting in the lobby of the police station, Morgana attempting to offer whatever comfort he could provide, and Ren staring at his father talk to the officer and social worker, this felt like a punishment.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Amamiya Masanori approached his son. “We’re going home.”

A part of Ren wanted to fight, as he always had. Wanted to tell his father to shove it, to go fuck himself, to find another son if he wanted one so damn badly. He wanted to handcuff himself to the chair in silent protest, until the social worker—who now looked at Ren with suspicion because _that fucking bastard told her about the assault charge_ —agreed to let Minato and Yuu take him _home_.

A larger part of Ren felt the heavy chains on his heart and, for the first time, felt the fight drain out of him completely. He was tired of always being the rebel, being the one to buck his fate. Ren slouched in the chair, eyes flat as he stared back at his father.

“Whatever.”

“Do you have your things?”

“My things are at home.”

Masanori frowned. “They aren’t; you took them with you when you left.”

“Yeah, they’re _home_ ,” he stressed, because he couldn’t help the dig. “They’re not at your apartment.”

The police officer beside them shuffled uncomfortably as the Amamiya men stared each other down. Finally, Masanori grabbed Ren’s collar and bodily dragged him out of the station. Ren caught Morgana before the cat could get hurt, but didn’t resist his father’s hold. They got in his car, driving away from everything perfect in Ren’s life.

* * *

_[COFFEE DAD Chat]_

_16.5.20XX_

_Papa: Ren, please, I’m really worried_

_Papa: Futaba tried hacking your phone, but you haven’t looked at it since yesterday_

_Papa: Are you okay??_

_Papa: Ren, this isn’t funny._

_Papa: …_

_Papa: I’m sorry Ren._

_Papa: I didn’t mean to let you down_

* * *

_[WE ALL LOVE YUSUKE Chat]_

_18.6.20XX_

_Van Gogh: Ren, please answer your phone. We’re worried_

_Vegeta: Ren, we know you must be feeling awful, but please don’t shut us out_

_UFO: OKAY THIS IS HAPPENING NOW_

_Futaba has added Akechi to the chat_

_Futaba has changed Akechi’s name to THOT_

_THOT: …Was that necessary?_

_UFO: no but we need the laugh_

_Billy Idol: FOR REAL??? U bringin akechi???_

_THOT: Is there a problem with that?_

_Sailor Moon: No, who cares_

_Sailor Moon: Futaba, why is Akechi-kun here?_

_UFO: …Ren hasn’t looked at his phone in ages. I’ve kept a video recording going the whole time. His phone is on, but he hasn’t checked it._

_UFO: When I track it, it stays in the same place_

_THOT: And you brought me here to verify if I’ve seen him._

_THOT: That explains some things…_

_THOT: He hasn’t been to school, unfortunately, but I…”checked” his records and found that his father asked for him to take some time to move back into his apartment. I have seen him at Minato-san’s and Yuu-san’s apartment. He had to pick up his clothes and drop off Morgana._

_Billy Idol: Oh, thank god for akechi_

_Billy Idol: omg did I just say those words_

_Knuckles: Irrelevant_

_Knuckles: If the phone is active, but not moving, and Ren’s been moving around, that means he’s not taking his phone_

_Capoeira: If he’s not taking his phone, do you think his father took it away from him?_

_UFO: his dad would be shitty like that_

_THOT: I hope he doesn’t avoid me at school…_

_Billy Idol: ????_

_Billy Idol: no way_

_Billy Idol: the only constant in this stupid world is that renren loves akechi_

_Billy Idol: he would never avoid u_

_THOT: Sakamoto…you think Ren loves me?_

_Billy Idol: so obvious dude_

_Van Gogh: A more universal constant than gravity_

_UFO: r u stupid or something?_

_Sailor Moon: Aren’t you a detective?? And you didn’t figure that out?_

_THOT: I see…_

_THOT: What are you all waiting for? Have you contacted Ren’s social worker yet? Send them your impressions of Ren’s father and Ren’s ABSOLUTELY EXEMPLARY behavior in Tokyo. Get to it._

_Knuckles: UGH Akechi sometimes I hate you_

_Knuckles: But yeah, that would be a good way to help Ren. Let’s do it, everyone._

_Vegeta: Oh, Ren…_

_Vegeta: Ren, if you ever get to read these, we’re on your side._

* * *

_[5 WEEK ANNIVERSARY!!! Chat]_

_19.6.20XX_

_Gocchan: I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you got taken in_

_Gocchan: I’m here now_

_Gocchan: And I’m not letting you go_

_Gocchan: As soon as you get to school, don’t you dare avoid me_

_Gocchan: I’ll hunt you down if I have to_

_Gocchan: I miss you_

* * *

_[COOL WILD CARDS ONLY Chat]_

_19.6.20XX_

_Messiah: Ren, we’re fighting for you._

_Narc: And we won’t stop._

* * *

Ren walked through the quiet apartment, eyes glancing at the caretaker—his _warden_ , Iha Yoshie. The slight woman smiled awkwardly and waved, hand slowly lowering when Ren didn’t return the gesture. Ren instead walked straight to his room, imagined making as much noise as he possibly could, throwing vases to the floor, knocking over books, and kicking chairs. Once he closed the door behind him, though, he made sure to close it gently. Ren sighed and sat on his bed, staring at the wall.

Since he’d returned, he noticed his father had installed cameras throughout the apartment, in the hallways, living areas, and all the windows. He had hired Yoshie to make sure Ren went to and from school and nowhere else, since Ren would be returning back to school in the next week. He’d taken Ren’s phone from the police officers and refused to give it back, stowing it somewhere in his bedroom. From what Ren could figure out on the computer in the living room, Masanori seemed to be struggling with setting up the child lock settings.

The rules were simple, Masanori had explained: no talking to his old friends; no seeing any girlfriends (“Not that anyone would be interested in you,” he sneered); no after school clubs; go to school and come home immediately; stay in his room until dinner; stay in his room after dinner; go to sleep at 10. If any of the rules were broken, Ren would be transferred out of Gekkoukan High, they would move faraway, and Ren would never see his friends ever again.

In truth, Ren wasn’t really worried about it. The bonds he’d forged with his friends were insurmountable. If they weren’t already trying to figure out a way for him to get out of this, they at the very least would never forget him. He could endure this until he turned 18, if he really had to. Ren was also an accomplished Phantom Thief, and those skills had been honed in the real world as well as the metaverse. Whenever he really wanted to, he could avoid the cameras, check his phone, or sneak some communication to someone.

But the **Rank 1** in his mind rattled him, reminded him that there was one connection that could easily forget him—had _already_ forgotten him. And, despite himself, he couldn’t risk not seeing Goro, even for one more year, when having Goro in his life meant everything to him right now. He didn’t find the brunet just to lose him again. Besides, in the few days since his forced imprisonment, Ren had been able to reflect a bit.

Goro had a palace; Goro had memory problems that stemmed directly from his actions in the metaverse, before and after he met Ren; Goro’s rank refused to move and he never forged new bonds.

Goro was a _wild card_ with no bonds.

It had dawned on Ren that they only checked once to see if Goro had a palace; at the time, Loki was the truest manifestation of his soul, so he clearly didn’t have one. But now, Goro seemed to have lost some part of himself and Ren knew, this time, it wasn’t wishful thinking for the old Goro to come back. Goro likely couldn’t conjure a persona right now, and if that was true, that meant he could manifest a palace in its stead.

And Goro, like every other wild card who went on their journey, was supposed to forge his bonds until he eventually inherited The World.

Minato had been trying to tell him, but couldn’t interfere because of that stupid wild card rule, but Ren wasn’t Minato; he wasn’t some former deity sworn to uphold some bullshit rules imposed on him just because that deity gave him the power in the first place. Ren was going to help Goro, and it had to start with that palace.

But, if he was separated from Goro, he wouldn’t be able to do a thing. Until now, despite how well he thought he knew Goro, Ren couldn’t figure out the keywords. Even if he knew them, without his phone he couldn’t even check the metaverse. He would have to sit and wait until he could finally see Goro in school, where Masanori had no say in how Ren spent his time.

So, Ren sat. He sat, neglected his homework, and stared at the wall, wishing he had been able to summon the will to rebel in the police station and feeling very alone.

* * *

Goro growled, slamming his shoe locker closed, and then immediately regretting it when it only aggravated his migraine.

Goro was having a shitty Monday, and it was barely 8 am.

Ever since he’d arrived here, Goro had been inflicted by odd migraines. These migraines were triggered, clearly, by some accident which caused some kind of retrograde amnesia. He could remember large parts of his past—his mother, her suicide, and his moving to Tokyo—but there were larger parts that were missing. He couldn’t remember _why_ he went to Tokyo. He couldn’t remember the accident or even the hospital that must have treated him. And, he couldn’t remember how he transferred to Gekkoukan High. He remembers arriving here in time for the new year, remembers seeing that the current president had to drop out due to personal reasons, and the teachers were left to choose, so they chose him because of his exemplary grades. But, still, his migraines would suddenly surge, and he wouldn’t be able to concentrate. After a while, he gave up entirely on trying to figure it out.

Most distressingly, he noticed that his migraines had increased since Ren had arrived. In fact, the moment he laid eyes on Ren, a migraine so powerful it nearly knocked him out had afflicted him. Thankfully, Goro had managed to catch himself on the doorway and Ren was in the middle of some sort of breakdown and never noticed.

 _Where exactly was that again?_ _The courtyard? It was outside…_

And Goro wasn’t an idiot. He was planning on being a detective, after all. Ren had looked at Goro and acted as though he had seen a ghost, an experience Goro relived every time he met one of Ren’s friends from Tokyo. The only two seemingly unaffected by this were Yuu and Minato, but those two struck Goro as oddly serene in their lives. It felt like nothing ever rattled those two.

Ren was interesting, though, so Goro fought through the migraines to learn more about the boy and…couldn’t help immediately wanting to date the boy. Goro couldn’t tell where that feeling came from, either. Normally, Goro would never even consider dating someone, but something about Ren was so familiar and so magnetizing, that Goro decided give up all fucks and go for it.

It didn’t hurt that Ren looked at Goro like he had hung the stars.

It felt _nice_ , to be needed and loved. Goro remembered wanting that feeling so badly as a child, and Ren gave it so freely. So very freely, in fact, that it was basically a running joke amongst Ren’s friends. After having been invited to their group chat, if only to share updates on their progress with child services, it became clear that this was a tight knit group of friends who would always support Ren.

Goro envied him.

But it also became clear that Ren had no issues telling his friends his true feelings regarding Goro, and said friends had no problems revealing that to Goro _directly_. And Goro didn’t mind, could even believe that he was on the cusp of returning those feelings…

The only, tiny problem was that…it didn’t add up.

Sakamoto and Kitagawa had claimed that Ren loving Goro was a constant, comparable to gravity. Which meant Ren had loved Goro far longer than they’d been dating. Which only cemented the persistent feeling Goro had that whatever memory loss he was experiencing had something to do with Ren. Ren never hinted, but to Goro, Ren was an open book. Where others saw impassive eyes with a small, inscrutable smile, Goro saw amusement. Others saw an apathetic face; Goro saw a boy carefully considering his words. Others saw a tiny frown, and furrowed brows hidden under dark bangs; Goro saw _guilt_.

And that guilt was frequently directed towards _Goro_.

Ren _knew_ , but for some reason, refused to tell Goro what happened to cause his memory loss.

 _Are you sure you_ want _to remember?_

_If it causes you pain to try to remember…maybe it’s not worth it._

Goro frowned, leaning his head against his locker. Why didn’t Ren want Goro to remember?

Maybe because Ren didn’t know that Goro had been losing more memories lately.

As the migraines had increased, it seemed to have an effect on his memory, but oddly…only memories regarding _Ren_. Although Goro played it off as Ren being overly romantic to remember their 5-week anniversary, Goro was legitimately caught off guard. He found he couldn’t remember the date they met, and realized later, he could barely even remember how their first date went. More distressingly, Goro could sharply remember the things _around_ Ren, but not Ren himself. Goro could remember hanging in the apartment with Ren, Yuu, and Minato; but where conversations with Yuu were crystal clear, conversations with Ren began to blur. Whatever was happening, Goro needed to talk to Ren, and fast—but the child services division was a slow and cumbersome machine, unheeding of the needs and wants of those unfortunate enough to be depending on it for relief. It could take months the assigned social worker to actually pay attention to Ren’s case, especially since there were no accounts of physical abuse—sometimes, in spite of that.

And Goro wasn’t sure he could hold on that long.

With a sigh, the brunet pushed away from the metal door, leaning down to make sure his pants weren’t caught in his school shoes. As he straightened, he blinked. Standing a few feet from him was Ren, staring directly at him. The other students gave him a wide berth, whispering about why he could’ve been arrested.

Goro grimaced. As if Ren hadn’t already suffered enough of that in his other school.

_…Did he? Was that a real conversation we had?_

Goro and Ren stared at each other from across the hall, and Goro realized then that they’d never actually bothered outing themselves at school. Deciding he was done with the world trying to take Ren away from him, the brunet determinedly approached Ren and hugged him as soon as he was close enough. And, like a fog lifting, the blurs encroaching on the edges of his memories of Ren started to clear.

Ren immediately sagged in relief, his arms wrapping around Goro quickly and tightly. “I missed you.”

“Did you get my messages?”

Ren frowned. “My dad changed my phone, then put a parental lock on it, and just blocked the use of my chat app and text app entirely. I can’t see anything.”

Goro pulled back and offered Ren his own phone. Smiling, Ren quickly read their personal chat, the chat filled with his friends, and the chat between Goro and Sojiro. For a long while, Ren stared at the phone, eyes blinking rapidly and hand shaking so much, Goro would’ve thought he was on the verge of dropping it.

“Guess you know my secret,” he finally said, handing the phone back. The glasses did a good job of hiding his moist eyes, but this close, Goro could see past the mask.

“That you love me? That was obvious,” Goro replied smugly. His smile soon dropped, though. “We really are trying to get you out of that house, Ren. Believe us.”

Ren nodded slowly. “Goro, I think we need to talk later. At lunch. Alone, where we first met.”

Goro felt his heart pick up quickly, but he did his best to school his face into someone neutral as he nodded. “See you at lunch, then.”

With a quick smile, Ren gently caressed Goro’s cheek, then leaned in to kiss the brunet’s lips, ignorant of the stares they were garnering. “It’s not a break-up conversation, by the way.”

Goro snorted, but his shoulders relaxed. “Like you’d ever dump me.”

Silver eyes twinkled with mirth. “Never.”

* * *

Ren sat on the roof, waiting for Goro to show up, thinking about the messages Goro had allowed him to read. He felt overwhelmed.

_Sakura: I’m trying so hard, Akechi. If you see Ren, please tell him to be patient. Sae-san is helping me. We’ll get him out. Thanks for keeping me updated._

_Me: Your (real) dad, Sakura-san, contacted me. Through Futaba-chan, I guess? I’m helping him with some connections I have here at the police. We’ll figure a way out. I hope you get a chance to read these._

_Futaba-chan: He changed Ren’s phone. It’ll be a lil trouble 2 hack, w/o being able 2 directly bug it. keep u updated l8r_

_Billy Idol: we rly love u, bro. don’t 4get that_

_Sailor Moon: We’re all submitting statements to your social worker! One way or another, we’ll get you out!! <3_

Lavenza’s voice rang clear in Ren’s mind: _With ‘The World,’ you are no longer without a place to belong, and will never trudge a path alone again._

 _They’re going through so much to help me with my dad,_ Ren realized. _I can’t ask them to help me with Goro’s palace, too._

“Ren!” Goro’s voice called, pulling Ren from his thoughts.

“Finally,” Ren’s smile eased the bite of his reply, “I thought you were going to stand me up.”

Goro flushed. “I had a little trouble remembering. Actually, that was why I wanted to talk to you.” The brunet sat down beside Ren, their knees brushing. Ren intertwined their hands, giving Goro an encouraging nod.

“For a while now, you know I’ve had memory problems stemming from an accident I can’t remember. Usually, whenever I try to remember something that I believe relates to that accident, I get fairly intense migraines.

Those migraines…you make them worse. My memories of you are fading, but _only_ of you. I can remember Minato and Yuu just fine, but I find myself forgetting my interactions with you.”

Ren’s eyes widened. “Goro.”

“There’s no particular rhyme or reason, either, which is frustrating. It’s like you’re fading from my consciousness. This morning, I couldn’t remember we met on a roof. Once I saw you, I felt like I was starting to remember, but when you left, it slipped out of my grasp again. All I could remember was we met somewhere at school and somewhere open. It’s like the further I am away from you, the easier it is to forget you,” Goro said quietly. “I had to conclude…whatever the accident that affected my memory, you’re somehow involved. Whatever happened in the past,” Goro winced, cradling his head, but gritted his teeth, “it’s somehow related to my memory loss.”

Ren bit his lip, lowering his eyes. Cautiously, he felt his heart, and could feel the singular chain that had reattached itself.

**_Justice – Akechi Goro – Rank 1_ **

Would their bond be strong enough for the truth?

“Goro, it’s my fault you had that accident. You’re forgetting me because you…you hated me before. I’m just guessing, but I think your heart is distorted. That distortion is probably making you forget me and everything associated with me, like you probably always wanted to.

I can…I can fix the distortion, if you like. But it has to be your choice. I won’t go messing around with your heart—and I’m not being metaphorical here—unless you understand that, when I do fix the distortion, you’ll remember everything. And you’ll hate me again.”

Goro’s eyebrows were drawn, eyes narrowed. “I hated you? How did you know that?”

“You told me as much. On multiple occasions.”

“I’m so sor—”

“Nope!” Ren declared, quickly hugging Goro to him and swaying them slightly. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is what you want. I will do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

“The accident…wasn’t a happy one, then,” Goro surmised.

Ren shook his head, hiding his face in Goro’s shoulder.

“But the only way I’ll remember the accident, remember why I’m here, and remember _you_ , is by getting rid of the…distortion in my heart?”

Ren nodded.

Goro chuckled sardonically. “I guess I have no choice.”

“You always have a choice, Goro.”

Goro gently pushed Ren off him, encasing Ren’s face in his hands. Sharp red eyes locked onto Ren’s, determination lining his shoulders. “Forgetting you is not a choice I’m willing to make. Please, Ren, if you can fix it…then do so.”

**_Justice – Akechi Goro – Rank 2_ **

Ren’s face split into a wide, beaming grin as he hugged his boyfriend. “Thank you.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

Ren hummed, pulling out his phone. The red eye of the metanav stared up at him, unencumbered by mortal parental locks. “I need some keywords. I need your name, the physical location, and what your distorted heart sees it as.”

“I see…I don’t know how I can help with that…”

“Where do you spend the most time?”

Goro smirked. “Besides your apartment? Gekkoukan High.”

The app reacted.

“Yes, Goro! It’s a match. Now, the distortion. How does the school make you feel? You have to be honest with me.”

Goro swallowed, turning away from Ren’s unwavering stare. “I don’t, uh…trapped? But also safe. As in, I need to be here, because it keeps me away from something.”

Ren frowned, putting a hand to Goro’s cheek and leading the teen’s gaze back to him. “Why?”

“I can’t…some part of me feels like I deserve some kind of punishment. As if there was something wrong with me, and I needed to be kept away and cured. But it wasn’t enough? I had to not think or…or I would go crazy.”

Ren blinked and slowly shook his head. “Go…crazy…”

“Yeah. Any ideas?”

Ren looked down at his phone, determined frown set. “ _Asylum_.”

 _Beginning Navigation_.

Ren quickly cancelled navigation before he and Goro were tossed into the metaverse. Goro stared at the phone, eyes wide. “Does that mean…?”

“I’ll be able to get in.”

“You’re telling me…I think the school is an _asylum_?”

Ren carded his hand through Goro’s soft hair. “I’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise.”

Goro said nothing, but he leaned into Ren’s embrace. With a sigh, Ren wrapped his arms tightly around the brunet. Whether it meant letting Goro die on his own terms, or letting Goro hate him again, Ren had already determined he would do whatever Goro needed to be happy. Ren was a fairly selfish person—selfish enough to think the world would work in his favor for once—but he could never be selfish with Goro.

* * *

Ren had wanted to explore Goro’s palace immediately, but Masanori’s stupid rules wouldn’t allow him to even pretend he had after school activities. Instead, Ren had to go home and wait for Goro to make a letter for Ren to bring home, informing Masanori that after school clubs were mandatory. Ren had already decided he would join student council. Besides being able to spend time with Goro during school hours under the guise of student council duties, it was also the one club that tended to run longer than others due to Goro’s obsessive need to have all plans be absolutely perfect.

Besides, with Goro’s extra special school schedule, Ren wouldn’t be seeing Goro in any classes. The only way to remain present in Goro’s fleeting cognition was to create the opportunities. Ren didn’t know how long he had before Goro forgot him completely, and having their time together essentially cut down by three quarters was sure to speed up Goro’s memory problem. If Ren thought it safe, he would’ve considered bringing Goro into his own palace, to hopefully force a re-awakening similar to Futaba’s. But Ren had no idea what to expect in Goro’s asylum, and he was unwilling to risk the detective’s safety for it.

Besides, Futaba wasn’t ready to enter the palace until the day that the thieves had been able to secure a route to her treasure. If he followed a similar pattern, Ren would have to lead Goro to his treasure to awaken to his persona again; until then, Goro would likely be dead weight.

And so, despite his fingers itching to feel his knife in his hands again, Ren returned to his father’s apartment. As usual, Yoshie greeted him kindly, but the notepad in her hand—where she marked the times that Ren left and arrived to and from school—undermined her gesture. Ren didn’t bother to acknowledge her, opting instead to head straight to his room.

He quickly did his homework—student council students had to maintain a certain grade and he couldn't afford to slack now—then searched through his belongings. Thankfully, he still had his perma-pick and a large supply of healing and soul replenishing items from his training in Mementos. He hadn’t quite figured out how he would get to a Velvet Room door to slip off to Shibuya for Takemi’s brand of items, but what he currently had would last him at least a weeks’ worth of exploration, depending on the strength of the shadows he encountered.

If he could convince his father to let him use the kitchen, he might even be able to make some coffee to take for his explorations. That would cut down on what he had to buy, at least.

As he usually did before a palace exploration, Ren made his list of what to take, what to save, what personas he would use, and made a table where he would fill in the information of shadows he encountered and their weaknesses. By the time he felt prepared and stashed his exploration materials, his father called him for dinner. Feeling calmer now that he was back in his rituals, Ren resigned himself to another night of playing the part of the well-behaved son.

Yoshie served them, a fairly simple meal of fish, rice, and steamed vegetables. Ren ate his plate quickly and then excused himself, refusing to have seconds. Every second in his father’s presence grated on Ren’s nerves, and Ren could feel Arsène in the back of his mind, begging Ren to break the chains again to unleash hell on these arbitrary and demeaning rules.

But for now, Ren needed his phone and he needed not to be away from Gekkoukan High. Until Goro’s palace was conquered, Ren had to play nice.

* * *

“After school activities are mandatory?” Masanori had asked the next day, once he finally read the note Ren had pushed into his hands the day before.

Ren nodded. “I should be there today, actually, and I might be penalized for missing it.”

Masanori scowled. “This sounds way too convenient.”

“I have a note,” Ren pointed out, biting his tongue to keep his real thoughts at bay.

“Why would they let someone like you join student council?”

Ren’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “I’m second highest in my grade, I’m a people person, and Shido Masayoshi admitted that he fabricated my assault case. Good enough for you?”

After a long silence, Masanori scoffed and shook his head. “Fine, you’re allowed then. But you come right back home. And don’t let this be a regular thing.”

Ren rolled his eyes as he turned around, metaverse supplies already packed in his school bag. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to tell them that.”

He shut the door before he could hear his father’s reply and quickly ran to Gekkoukan, already annoyed at the amount of time he’d lost having to entertain his father. Classes went by way too slowly, but Ren endured, pacified by the fleeting smiles and brief moments he got to hold Goro’s hand between classes. Their last class finally came to an end and Ren was already prepared to bolt out of the class.

As soon as they were dismissed, he sprinted up to the student council room, smiling at Goro’s figure hunched over one of his university textbooks. At the sound of the door opening, Goro glanced up and smiled back.

“He bought it?”

“To some degree,” Ren replied, quickly kissing Goro. “I should head back outside to do this. I don’t want you dragged in. See you in a couple of hours.”

With that, Ren ran back outside to the front gate of the school. Finally, Ren pulled out his phone and felt the familiar waves of the metaverse run through him in stripes of black and red. When the twisting cleared, Ren looked up and groaned out loud.

Tall, grey walls of bricks encased the asylum proper, with patrolling guard shadows prowling the outside. On each corner of the wall was a guard post with search lights, diligently surveying the yard within. Beyond the wall, a dark and imposing building, at least 5 stories, stood. From where Ren could see, there no windows—only sheets of metal where windows should be. In large, bright white letters, the name of the asylum was stamped on front: Gekkoukan Mental Reformatory. To Ren, it looked more like a prison. Ren focused his third eye and grimaced; the shadows glowed a range of yellow to red. There would be no instant killing here.

Ren glanced around and found a blue cell door.

He walked over and thankfully emerged into his cell room on the other side. The cell door was still gone, and Igor and Lavenza watched him from the middle of the room.

“Hello there, my Trickster,” Lavenza smiled serenely.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room,” Igor said, grin as wide as ever. “It seems you are witness to another journey.”

Ren tilted his head. “So, I was right. This isn’t my journey. This is Goro’s.”

“When the God of Control pitted you against each other, he did everything possible to rig the game against you. Both you and Akechi Goro were supposed to begin within a similar time frame. Instead, the malevolent god worked to destroy all that was good in Akechi Goro’s life from a young age and introduced him to the metaverse two years before you. His goal was such, that even should you manage to befriend Akechi Goro, you would be unable to sway him and he would ultimately betray you.” Lavenza’s smile widened. “As we both know, in the end, Akechi Goro chose to sacrifice himself for you.”

“Akechi Goro was meant to have the same privileges as you, as far as access to the Velvet Room services,” Igor sat back in this chair, hands steepled as always. “The god of control distorted his journey, so that he could not fully realize his potential as a wild card.”

Ren swallowed. “If I can restore his memories…if I can get rid of his palace…”

Lavenza turned around, pointedly staring at a cell that was locked closed, with an interior so dark, Ren couldn’t tell if it had an inmate or not. The number VIII was above the door.

“We will be waiting.”

Ren nodded and then approached Lavenza, quickly talking though some pleasantries before choosing his persona for upcoming fight. Ever the perfectionist, Ren had completed his compendium through fusion and negotiation, so he had a full roster to choose from. After a long deliberation, he chose Raoul, Maria, Metatron, Izanagi-no-Okami, Messiah, and Satanael. He double-checked his supplies and then turned back to leave.

“We wish you luck, Trickster,” Lavenza offered in parting.

Ren decided his best bet was avoiding as many battles as possible. So, he infiltrated quietly and thankfully found a hole near the southside of the wall that he could wiggle into. Once on the inside of the asylum walls, he clung to the shadows until he was able to find one actual window that lead to an examination room. The room itself was decrepit. An upright bed with leather straps was in the middle of the room, with a dark stain covering the padded area Ren assumed a head would lay. Beside the bed, a table on wheels covered in dirty surgical tools lay. The stench in the room was putrid.

Ren didn’t think the patients here were patients so much as inmates.

Ren didn’t have navigation abilities like Mona, Oracle, and even Crow, but his third eye allowed him to sense the strength of shadows even from a distance, as long as he could see them. If he could avoid the strong shadows as he snuck through the asylum, then all he really needed was a map so he could focus on finding the most direct path to the treasure.

As an asylum, Ren reasoned that the most likely place to have a map would be a security room, which would probably be crawling with shadows, or something like a warden’s office. And from what Ren imagined, the warden’s office would likely be far from the inmates, but near the staff office.

With a frown, Ren wondered if Goro was the warden of his own asylum. It would make some sense, since the warden would be considered the ruler of the asylum, but it also didn’t sit well with Ren. Granted, Futaba was the pharaoh of her palace, and she didn’t have control over it either. As Ren slunk through the shadows, he kept an eye out for any out of control cognitions or shadows that might give him more of a hint.

Ultimately, Ren carefully picked the best corners and shadows to hide behind on his way to the security office, which he assumed was near the entrance. Unfortunately, it was taking longer than Ren would have liked. The walls were bare, no decorations or tables or desks to use as a hiding spot. Ren had to put his third eye in overdrive, trying to sense shadows in long hallways, since he would have to creep down them quietly and hope no shadows ran into him. Worse were the cameras, similar to Kaneshiro’s, but they never turned off and there were no electrical boxes that Ren could exploit.

Finally, Ren found the security room.

As Ren thought, it was manned, but not nearly as heavily as Ren would’ve imagined. There were only two shadows, pointing at something on the video screens faced away from Ren. Gripping his knife, Ren crept forward and hid, hoping for an opening. Thankfully, luck was on Ren’s side. A loud alarm blared, and one of the two shadows stood, waving at the other. Once the other shadow rounded the corner, Ren rushed into the room and attacked.

Thankfully, it was a Nebiros, and Metatron was able to make quick work of her. Ren hurried to the console, wishing he had Morgana or someone to stand guard while he fiddled with the computers. He wasn’t Futaba, but Ren was able to disable the cameras in the hallways and alarms with a password—and Ren couldn’t help but laugh, because the security question seriously was “what is the best food in the world?” Smiling, Ren was able to extract a map of the whole asylum, and noted that, thankfully, there were only the top five stories, and no basements to explore. Certainly large, but doable, and strangely straight-forward. Just as he turned to leave, Ren looked up, catching a glimpse of the office cameras and froze.

“No,” he whispered.

Ren’s eyes were wide and stricken. The head psychiatrist—the _warden_ —sat in his office, staring directly at the camera with a small, cocky smirk on his pale face. Black, curly hair framed his face and nearly covered his slate grey eyes. He didn’t wear glasses. His outfit was unfamiliar, a clean and expensive looking black suit under a starch white lab coat. His face rested on his gloved hand, elbow perched on his desk, legs hidden under a large desk. His entire posture screamed casual.

Ren stared at his own face in horror. “ _I’m_ the warden?”

His cognitive double’s grin widened and he waved a hand. A noise behind him caused Ren to jerk around, seeing another shadow guard had come. Apparently, that alarm was a shift change. Ren immediately assumed a defensive stance, but the guard merely stepped aside and left the doorway open. With a grimace, Ren carefully walked out of the office. Overwhelmed, he decided to call it a day for exploration, and ran out, oddly unimpeded by any shadows. Ren refused to think on why.

Goro was waiting outside the gate when Ren bled back into the real world. The brunet blinked, seemingly surprised at Ren’s sudden reappearance, but quickly adjusted as he grasped Ren’s hand.

“Are you all right? You’re more pale than usual,” Goro muttered, brows stitched together.

Ren smiled, poking a finger to Goro’s forehead, easing the worry lines. “I’m fine. Going into people’s hearts can take a lot of energy. I found a map, so that’s good. How’s your memory?”

Goro sighed, walking alongside Ren. “Better the more I see you. I don’t think I’ll forget you in a day, but that week you were gone really made things worse. Another long break like that and…well.”

Ren scowled, gripping Goro’s hand tightly. “It won’t happen again. Either I’ll get out, or I’ll change your heart.”

“Ren,” Goro winced, but gave the black-haired teen a pained smile. “You try so hard for me. I really wish I could understand how I ever thought I hated you.”

“Probably all the dad jokes,” Ren deadpanned, gratified to hear Goro’s laugh. They walked through to Paulownia Mall, chatting about their classes, refamiliarizing themselves with their interests, and making future plans for when Ren was back with Minato and Yuu. Eventually, they came to a stop at the strip mall. “We should probably split up here. I don’t want my…sperm donor knowing that you’re my boyfriend. He might pull me from club.”

Goro’s expression darkened, but he nodded, letting go of Ren’s hand. Their fingers lingered briefly, but eventually, Ren huffed and took a full step back. With a quick upturn of his lips, Goro waved and turned around to walk to his own apartment. “I won’t let you forget me, Goro. I promise.”

The brunet glanced at Ren over his shoulder, flashing the other teen a wink. “Counting on it, Amamiya.”

* * *

Ren sat at the table, staring at the meal Yoshie had made for them. He knew he should eat, especially since he’d come back from the metaverse, but his mind was so full of thoughts, Ren didn’t quite feel like he was actually in his body.

Ren knew his friends would support him, as always, but seeing the physical proof of it on Goro’s phone loosened the chains that weighed his heart. Seeing Goro again also helped him feel more settled, assuaging something in Ren. Thankful that his transition from his home to his father’s apartment only took the one week or so, Ren made a mental note to make a schedule that would allow him to see Goro as much as possible. Ren didn’t think a week and a half was overly long, but in that timeframe, Goro had already forgotten the details of their first date, Ren’s favorite color, and parts of their onsen date. It seemed that there was no chronological order to Goro’s memory; similar to their experience when Mementos fused with the real world, it seemed as if Ren was fading from Goro’s cognition, and if he faded completely, he would be forgotten completely.

In their short walk, Goro was able to remember a few things, but not nearly enough to comfort Ren. Ren had planned on ignoring the palace for a while, hoping to focus on one issue at a time, but Goro’s memory was tenuous at best. For now, Ren would have to trust his friends to help get him out of his prison in the real world, so Ren could focus on Goro’s cognitive prison.

“Ren-kun,” Yoshie said, drawing him out of his thoughts. “You should eat. You don’t look well.”

Ren nodded, mechanically moving the food into his mouth and glancing at his father. Masanori himself was quiet, as he had been every day since Ren come back. He never spoke to Ren unless Ren himself initiated the conversation, and that was fairly rare. Yoshie nervously ate her own food, her previous attempts at conversation having been shot down by both men. Ren felt a little bad for her, because he knew she was just doing her job. For all he knew, she really needed the money, couldn’t find a job elsewhere, and this job was fairly easy. Ren wasn’t the trouble child his father likely painted him as.

The clinks of utensils were loud in Ren’s ears. Ren had committed himself to behaving well while stuck with his father, but behaving wasn’t necessarily one of Ren’s talents, and every day in this apartment felt like he was stuck in his own personal hell.

He missed his friends and his boyfriend. He wanted to play Smash with Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke, laughing when Yusuke would inevitably give up and try to paint their fight instead. He wanted to talk horticulture with Haru, beg her to send him some of her coffee beans. He wanted to chat with Futaba about her high school, take care of the only little sister he had. He wanted to cheer Sumire at her next meet and send her funny pictures of him attempting her poses. He wanted to hear Makoto chide them for not studying enough. He wanted to see Sae and Sojiro’s gentle smiles. He wanted to sit on the couch beside Goro, between Yuu and Minato, with Morgana snug on his lap, watching Featherman R.

He

_wanted_

“Why am I here?”

Masanori startled, gaze locking onto Ren. As though he forgot that Ren could talk.

“You’re my son, that’s why.”

“That never stopped you before.”

The poor caretaker looked between them, hunched in her seat to look as small as possible. But now that the words were out, Ren refused to back down.

Masanori’s lips thinned. “I want us to mend our relationship.”

“By making me a prisoner?”

Masanori’s hands slammed on the table. “Go to your room.”

Ren stood up, pushed his chair into the table. He calmly walked to his bedroom. Before he closed the door, he looked over his shoulder, and kept his face carefully blank. “Is this why mom hates you?”

The plate hit the door after he closed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> your comments made me sad so i put this up. then i realized nothing gets resolved here either so.... ;;;;;
> 
> also, i should mention, the story is done?? i just have to proofread each chapter before i post it that that depends on how much work i have
> 
> so yay! no long waiting times!
> 
> until the end (they said ominously)


	6. I should forget about him, but…

_I should forget about him, but…_

* * *

Ren gave himself about a month to complete Goro’s palace, which gave him until August. He and Goro tried to see each other often during school, but as Ren had feared, Goro’s intense schedule and the sheer amount of teachers who depended on Goro—whose need for praise certainly exacerbated Goro’s complete inability to say _no_ once in a while—meant that the only time they really had to spend together was after school. Masanori wasn’t pleased by Ren suddenly having a multi-day commitment, but Goro provided Ren with convincing enough excuses. Ren’s behavior and grades were otherwise perfect, besides Ren’s occasional talking-back.

Regardless, since his after-school time was dedicated to securing a route to Goro’s treasure, that meant Ren could only really spare about a half hour before he had to slip into the metaverse. And, while Goro’s memory of Ren was fairly consistent, Ren could see the cracks widening. Sometimes, it came in the form of Goro being unable to recall an inside joke; other times, Goro would look surprised and pleased when Ren kissed him, just as he had the first time. While that was a face Ren would never tire of, the cause of it gutted him, because Goro would look _so guilty_ immediately after. Ren would always make sure to kiss Goro before the brunet could apologize. As much as Ren wanted to rush through the exploration, though, he also couldn’t risk dying in the metaverse and going solo was already risk enough.

The first week of exploration went well, which was alarming. Ren had already scoped the whole first floor, finding that the floor was filled with surgery rooms and physician offices. None of the tools in the surgery rooms were ever clean, and all of them consisted of two main tools: an orbitoclast and a hammer. It seemed Ren wasn’t the only one who thought of the patients as prisoners, either; the security guards that lackadaisically roamed the halls tended to refer to them as “inmates” whenever they transferred a patient to a surgical room. Thankfully, none of the patients so far had been Goro, something Ren had been keeping a close eye for.

According to the map, there were a series of inmate rooms on the second floor; the third floor contained multiple eating areas; the fourth floor consisted of a wide open area; and the warden’s large office, which seemed like a series of rooms connected together and separated from the rest of the floor, was on the topmost floor of the asylum. Ren thought it was odd, because he assumed wardens of an asylum would want to be close to safer emergency exits. The other half of the top floor consisted of a similar suite of rooms, separated by a narrow hallway.

Considering that a cognitive version of Ren was the warden of the palace, the room across from his was likely the treasure, and the warden Ren was likely its protector. It was clear that the cognitive warden could sense Ren in the palace, so Ren had to assume he was the strongest, possibly second only to Goro’s shadow. 

Still, it was alarming because none of the shadows seemed all that interested in Ren anymore. The only shadow to truly impede his path at the end of the week was the shadow guarding the door to the stairs that led to the second floor. There were no puzzles to discern on the bottom floor. No diary pages, no accidental slips of personality that would show Ren more about Goro. It worried him, but Ren supposed that perhaps he needed to get closer to the top floor before the cracks in Goro’s palace would show.

Today, however, Ren decided he needed to play hooky. Ren had skipped one of his classes to run to the strip mall to rent two yukata, one of which he slipped into Goro’s shoe locker with a note. Now, as the last bell of school rang and students excitedly ran home to change, Ren had run to the bathroom to change into his own yukata.

Ren grinned at himself in the mirror when he finished, touching up his makeup one final time. Working with Lala Escargot had given him an appreciation for dressing in drag. While he wouldn’t have considered himself closed minded, it didn’t occur to him that assigning gender to clothing was limiting.

And Ren certainly couldn’t stand for that.

So, on slow nights at Crossroads, Lala taught Ren proper technique, like any good drag mother, until Ren was confident in his drag persona. Ren left his whole box of supplies back at LeBlanc, unwilling to have his father judge him for another thing, but in his year in Tokyo, Ren had amassed a fairly impressive collection of makeup, waist cinchers, heels, garters, and a couple of wigs. Of course, even without the full drag work, Ren was a fairly fishy queen.

His yukata was a deep midnight blue, patterned with clusters of pink, white, purple, and green flowers that lined his sleeves and the hems of his skirt. Light blue flowers sprinkled his dress amongst the other flowers, like stars. His obi was a deep red with gold accents, with a white flower adorning the top left. His hair was too short to style with chopsticks, but Ren managed a cute twist, lined with a flower headband, moving his bangs out of his face. His makeup was just a light touch of sparkly blue eyeshadow, pink lip gloss, and the barest hint of body shimmer along his exposed collarbone. Ren wished he could send a picture to Ann for approval, but he was happy enough with his appearance, especially since another student had confused him for a girl when they stumbled upon him.

That student thankfully also didn’t question why a girl was getting ready in the boys room and was kind enough to help him straighten his obi.

Ren grinned as he spotted Goro waiting for him at the entrance, wearing the yukata Ren had chosen for him. Goro’s yukata was the simpler one; a deep merlot colored one, with a black obi with gold clouds floating along the hem. Ren had wanted them to match, but renting yukata on the day of Tanabata was already pushing it, and he figured the ones he picked for them suited each of them just fine.

With a demure smile and fluttering eyes, Ren sidled up to Goro. “Hi, Gocchan. Miss me?”

Goro glanced at him, immediate disdain in his expression as his mouth opened, Ren imagined, to reject him. Then, Goro’s red eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. “ _Ren_?”

Ren’s smile widened. “You haven’t complimented me yet, Goro.”

A deep flush covered Goro’s cheeks as the poor boy stumbled through a compliment. Ren laughed, linking their arms together and resting his head on Goro’s shoulder as he pulled them away from the school gate. After a moment of silence, it seemed Goro finally collected himself.

“You do look beautiful, Ren,” Goro muttered. “But…any particular reason you’re dressed like that?”

Ren smirked. “Well, my dad thinks I’m at school in student council, and should he feel the need to go to this festival, I can’t have him recognizing me.”

“…Really?”

“And I just love looking pretty.”

“I can see that, you peacock.”

“Besides, the other ‘male’ yukata was super ugly. No way I was wearing that.”

Goro laughed quietly. “You always manage to surprise me. I am happy you decided to do this for us, though.”

“Me too,” Ren smiled softly, looking up at Goro through his eyelashes. “I know I don’t have much time, but I still want these happy memories with you.”

“I really don’t think I could ever forget this,” Goro replied, though his smile was melancholy. “Seriously, you look too good to have only done this once.”

Ren laughed. “Good eye, Sherlock. My drag name is Akira Escargot.”

“Drag? Like, crossdressing?”

Ren let out an offended gasp, to Goro’s amusement, and proceeded to explain the various differences between crossdressing and drag queens. By the time Ren had finished his thorough explanation on the drag scene in other countries, the underground drag culture of Shinjuku, and the various terms he’d learned from Lala, they arrived at the festival at the strip mall. The street was closed, allowing different vendors to pitch up stalls for games and food. Ren could see some of the other students in the school there, still in their uniforms.

“Gocchan!” a familiar, monotone voice called out. Ren’s heartbeat at twice its rate as he and Goro turned to see Minato and Yuu approaching them. Minato’s clear blue eyes widened as he took in Ren and a small smile spread on his face. “And…?”

Huffing a laugh, Ren played along and posed, a peace sign framing his eye. “Akira-chan, at your service!”

“Akira-chan, huh?” Yuu smirked. “I doubt Amamiya would be here, but either way, you look really cute.”

Minato dislodged Ren from Goro, pulling the teen into a hug. “We miss you, Ren. Are you okay?”

Yuu carefully rearranged Ren’s ruined hair, gently pushing the strands back into their halfhearted twist. “Your dad asked for a restraining order on us, since we knowingly housed a runaway teen. It hasn’t gone through, but we’re also trying not to make the situation worse by antagonizing him.”

Ren let out a deep sigh, and some tension he didn’t realize he’d been holding onto left him. He felt the deep thrum of their bonds in his heart, incomplete though they were. “I’m…managing. Goro’s got me going to student council with him, so I have a bit of an escape.”

Minato drew away, allowing Goro to put an arm around Ren’s waist. “That’s good.” Minato stared at Ren for a long, tense moment. Even Ren, master of stare contests, couldn’t hold his gaze for more than a few minutes and finally glanced away. At that, Minato’s eyes narrowed. “What’re you hiding?”

“I’m not hiding anything,” Ren insisted, gripping Goro’s hand on his waist. Goro’s russet eyes also glanced down at Ren, but the brunet didn’t offer anything either.

“You’re lying,” Minato said simply. “My motherly instincts are very good, nowadays, but if you don’t want to tell me yet…well, that’s fine. Just don’t forget that you’re not alone, even now.”

Yuu snorted. “I agree, though not so much with his motherly instincts. Seriously, though, _Akira-chan_ , whatever you think you have to go through alone…you don’t. Never again.”

Ren’s eyes lowered as the black-haired teen stared at his feet. “You’re all doing enough for me. I appreciate that.”

With a sigh, Minato reached up and fixed Ren’s hair, rearranging the twist into a braid and repining his flowers back. “Whenever you need us, we’re there. Now go enjoy the festival with your boyfriend.”

Ren smiled, a blush covering his cheeks. “Thanks, mom.”

“You take care of our daughter, got that, Gocchan?” Yuu said, pointing threateningly at the brunet.

Goro agreed with a nervous laugh, a matching blush on his face. With a final wave, the two older wild cards left them. Sharing a smile, the two walked around the stands to play games. Ren laughed out loud at Goro’s insatiable competitiveness as the brunet attempted to catch more fish than Ren; they shared takoyaki and Ren contained his giggles as Goro stared at the food suspiciously but couldn’t seem to remember why he felt so cautious; and Goro laughed and kissed Ren right on the lips when too many girls stared at Goro and Ren’s holds became more possessive. After nearly two hours, however, Ren knew he should be getting back home soon, so they found a public restroom. With a final kiss, Akira-chan entered the restroom and Ren, complete with his glasses, emerged a short while later.

Despite the punishment likely awaiting him at home, Ren extended his time with Goro by walking Goro back to his apartment. They held hands, swinging their arms gently between them. As they drew closer to Goro’s apartment, the brunet spoke quietly.

“That was nice.”

Ren smirked. “Just nice?”

“Egomaniac,” Goro laughed. “It was amazing. Thank you again for doing this.”

“We can’t be all work and no play, Goro-kun,” Ren replied slyly. “But, thank you, too. For doing this with me. And for not running away when you saw Akira.”

Goro rolled his eyes. “The only predictable thing about you is how unpredictable you are. Besides, Akira-chan was genuinely beautiful.”

Ren preened. “Thank you.”

Goro’s smile slowly fell. “I wish my heart weren’t distorted, so you could spend all your time with me.” A deep red blush suddenly flared across Goro’s cheeks. “I can’t believe I said that aloud.”

Ren chuckled, pressing a kiss to Goro’s cheek, then his forehead, his nose, and his lips. “I’m so glad you did,” Ren whispered against Goro’s lips. He deepened the kiss, pressing Goro against a wall. Goro’s arms draped around Ren’s shoulders, the brunet’s tongue shyly tracing Ren’s lips, wrenching a longing moan out of Ren. Eventually, the burn of oxygen was too much, and Ren pulled away. Both of them panted into each other mouths, staring at each other. Suddenly, Goro started laughing, pointing at Ren’s face. With a blink, Ren noticed that Goro was blurry. With a chuckle, the black-haired teen removed his foggy glasses, wiping them on his shirt. Goro kept laughing until Ren dove in quickly, chastely kissing Goro again.

“Thank you, Goro,” Ren whispered, voice low and sultry.

Goro swallowed, cheeks red and pupils wide. “You’re welcome.”

Reluctantly, Ren pulled away entirely, replacing his glasses. “I guess I should head back.”

Goro nodded, expression suddenly wistful. With one last rueful smile, Ren pecked Goro’s cheek and walked back to the station. Goro watched the other teen go until he couldn’t see Ren anymore, determined to hang on to this memory.

* * *

“Why are you so late?” was the first thing to greet Ren when he arrived.

Ren scowled. “Club ran late.”

“You expect me to believe that?” Masanori demanded, glaring up at Ren from his seat at the dinner table, hunched over with his elbows resting on his thighs. Yoshie sat on the other side of the table, staring determinedly at the table. “It’s Tanabata. Who the hell schedules club on a holiday?”

Ren rolled his eyes. “Akechi-senpai does, all right? The kid likes to work.”

“I think you’re lying,” Masanori replied, voice hushed with anger.

Ren’s eyes narrowed. “Better a liar than whatever the hell you are.”

Masanori stood suddenly, the chair falling back violently and scaring Yoshie. “What the hell are you implying?”

Ren’s hands shook, his teeth gritted, as he glared at his father. He wanted, so badly, to tell his father off for everything. To tell his father exactly what he thought of him, possibly to even rile his father up to the point that Masanori slipped and finally hit Ren.

Then, maybe, Ren could _leave_.

“Nothing,” he said instead. “I’m just angry. That damn club is working me to death and then I come here to get accused of doing something I’m innocent of…again.”

The implication was not lost on Masanori, who flushed and quickly turned away. Grumbling, the man picked up the chair and put it back to the table, taking a seat and eating. Seemingly mollified, he grunted, “Go change and come eat.”

Ren took a deep, deep breath and nodded, striding to his room quickly and shutting the door. With a soft groan, he gripped his hair and slid down the door, hiding behind his knees. Even now, a low thrum of adrenaline coursed right under his skin, daring him to throw open the door and lob all his thoughts at Masanori like the bombs they undoubtedly were.

_I wish my heart weren’t distorted, so you could spend all your time with me._

But there was someone so much more important than his anger, Ren realized, and he couldn’t risk whatever stupid punishment Masanori would come up with. More than his palace, Ren realized, he needed his friends to get him out of Masanori’s house.

Once Ren was free of his father, he could ask for help with the palace, if he still needed it. Until then, Ren would trust his friends to save him from his father, while he focused on saving Goro from Ren.

* * *

Yuu walked into the apartment and sighed; Minato was standing in the middle of the room again, staring at Ren’s old room. It was a new habit of Minato’s, to get lost in thought about the curly-haired teen whenever he looked at it too long.

When they first moved in together, life was perfect. Right after Ren contacted them again, Yuu was quick to propose; their friends and their friends’ friends visited often, so the house was never empty. As well as Yuu thought he knew Minato, though, there were always new layers to uncover. Another one of them showed itself when Yuu caught Minato looking at adoption requirements.

Of course, the most they could hope for in Japan at the moment was being foster parents, but their shared experiences as wild cards had imbued them with a need for permanence in certain things. The idea of loving a child only to have to give them back was an idea Yuu was certain would crumble Minato. He could feel it in the way Minato gripped Yuu’s hands; he could see it in the way Minato would pet Ren’s hair, would clutch the boy to him when they hugged, was still staring at the room like maybe the last few weeks had been an overlong nightmare.

If it weren’t obvious enough, Minato’s particular tell was when he told a joke too many times. It was his way of suggesting things in a safe way. In the real world, it wasn’t a wish Yuu could fulfill immediately, but Ren filled the hole that had been forming. Now, the hole was there and widening, even with the constant stream of people visiting them.

Even though Minato was technically Yuu’s senpai as far as the shadow world, Minato never truly felt like a guide to Yuu. Their relationship flourished during that year that Minato was stuck in his own Velvet Room, so it felt like they grew together. Besides, that year of suspended animation meant that Minato emerged at technically the same age as Yuu. Their journeys were so different compared to Naoya’s and Tatsuya’s as well, so while they all commiserated often, it wasn’t quite the same. But _Ren_ —he was their child in every way that mattered. Ren had the best aspects of their personalities: Minato’s maturity, calm, and keen observation; Yuu’s tenacity, loyalty, and spontaneity. Ren’s journey was frighteningly similar to theirs—a child who had too much placed on their shoulders but bore it with a plethora of masks to face the world. The difference was that this time, Minato and Yuu were there for someone now, and not in some metaphysical world that Ren could only access fleetingly.

But were they?

Yuu’s lips tightened as he closed the door, approaching his fiancé silently. He set his bag down and wrapped his arms around Minato’s waist, resting his chin on the slightly shorter man’s shoulder.

“Have we really done everything we possibly can?” Minato whispered, blue eyes trained on Ren’s room.

Sometimes, in the right light, Ren’s deep steel eyes looked like a very pale shade of blue. Other times, they looked like a very light silver.

Yuu’s arms tightened around Minato’s waist. “I don’t think so.”

“We’re not supposed to interfere with another wild card’s journey.” Blue eyes flickered to the Velvet Room door. “If we break the rules, we could lose…”

“We could lose Philemon’s favor, yes,” Yuu muttered. “Which means we can’t see Minako-chan and Shinji-senpai anymore.”

Minato lowered his head. “Do you think I’m a bad brother? For even considering it?”

Yuu kissed Minato’s temple. “No. I think you’re an amazing mother.”

Minato huffed a laugh. He lifted his head again, staring at the empty doorway.

* * *

As Ren had thought, the second floor was not necessarily challenging as it was difficult to simply walk through. After the clinical gore of the first floor, the second-floor inmate rooms were shockingly personal. The rooms lined the massive walls of the asylum, while the center was wide open. In the dead center sat a shadow that didn’t bother Ren once, guarding the door to a standalone room. As Ren had walked along the rooms, he noted that each room had a distinct decoration to it. Some rooms were impersonal and empty; some rooms contained multiple beds; some rooms contained drawings of Featherman heroes.

It hit Ren suddenly that all these rooms were _Goro’s_ at one point. Along the massive room, over two dozen rooms filled the space, including the one in the center. Ren imagined each of these rooms must have been foster homes and orphanages that a young Goro lived in before Tokyo. The last room at the other end of the U-shaped room was more mature, but clinical. There was no personality in the room, but somehow, a determination to seem as adult and self-sufficient as possible. On the table of the room sat an attaché case, with an “A” engraved on it. The only stairs were to the first floor. Left with no options, Ren had gone to the shadow and fought it. After a long battle, if only because it was him alone against a shadow that manifested into various different shadows, Ren finally won.

Inside the single room, to the side, were a set of stairs winding up to the third floor. The room itself, however, was not a bedroom, but a living room. The couches and chairs were huddled together, with multiple blankets thrown over them. Ren had explored the hand-made fort and found a drawing of a brown-haired boy with a cape. Beside that drawing was another one, not made by a very talented hand, but clearly someone with more age. That drawing was of a woman, a man, and the young brown-haired hero between them, happily holding their hands.

Feeling incredibly intrusive, Ren left the fort alone and ascended the stairs to the third floor and found a safe room.

He took a two-day break to spend time with Goro and recover. Now, he was determined to tackle the third and fourth floors, as time was dwindling.

The third floor seemed to be the cafeteria. Different restaurants lined the walls, and tables sat in the center. Cognitive inmates sat at the tables, silently eating the meals they chose. The food they ate was likely far better than anything real asylum inmates would ever eat, but he supposed the thought of the first floor was enough to make any food taste bland. Most of the restaurants were breakfast or brunch themed, and most of them served some forms of pancakes and crepes. Despite the palace’s general dreariness, it pulled a smile from Ren to see that these foods were kept close to Goro’s heart. The most pleasant surprise was seeing LeBlanc’s storefront along the walls.

Ren did his best to hide among the cognitions and avoid the shadow guards and doctors, but just as the floor before it, the stairs didn’t seem to be in an open area. Ren assumed he would have to go to the restaurant that held the most significance to Goro.

Ren visited the other stores first, as it made sense to search for loot or to assume that another store was more important, but the curly-haired teen knew he was also avoiding the inevitable. When all other stores had been exhausted, Ren walked into LeBlanc.

And was welcomed by his cognitive double.

“Welcome to LeBlanc,” said the smirking warden.

Ren’s hand immediately gripped his gun.

“There’ll be no need for that here. All you have to do is have a cup of coffee.”

The warden slid three cups onto the counter, all of them in front of Goro’s preferred perch. Slowly, Ren approached the chair and sat down, his eyes staring down his own face.

“What happens when I drink these?”

The warden shrugged. “This is the place where Goro processed his emotions. His feelings are in these cups. Think you can stand them?”

Ren glanced down at the three cups warily. “Why are _you_ the warden instead of Goro?”

The cognitive being smirked again, and Ren saw Joker in the grin. “Someone has to keep the inmate in line until he’s cured.”

“Cured from what?”

“How boring if I tell you. Drink your coffee. The temperature affects the flavor, or so you’ve said.”

“I drink these and then I can just keep going?” Ren confirmed.

The warden pointed to the stairs at the back, that usually led to Ren’s attic room back in Yongen-Jaya. “Right up those stairs.”

Straightening his shoulders, Ren gripped the left-most mug and drank the contents in one swallow. At first, he felt nothing. Then—

 _Peace_. _Love. Acceptance_.

Ren breathed out around the sudden knot of emotion in his throat. He felt consumed, yet his heart felt light. Finally, someone _saw_ him; _finally_ , someone _understood_ all of him—everything ugly and broken that he tried so hard to hide, but _someone saw it and loved it all and how could he ever be so selfish as to chain him to all of that in some stupid over-perfect world he deserved better Ren deserved better because Goro loved Ren so goddamn mu—_

Ren gasped, coming to himself again, gripping his hair and leaning against the bar. Panting, he glanced up at a now stoic warden Ren.

“Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee roast. Be warned, it’s all downhill from here.”

Ren groaned. “Please tell me he doesn’t think I’m _that_ bad with puns.”

Silver eyes, undeterred by their usual glass mask, twinkled with mirth. “Oh, it gets so much worse.”

Ren sighed, staring at his empty cup. “He loves me.”

“Probably too much, yeah.”

“But then…why is he forgetting me if not because he hates me? Because I could have saved him and didn’t?”

The warden merely pushed the second cup forward. Resigned, Ren drank it whole.

 _Anger. Destruction. Ruin_.

Ren wanted to grab the coffee siphon and break it. Why should the world continue, unharmed, as though it hadn’t destroyed him? Taken everything he loved and laid waste to it? Where were the heroes that were meant to prevent these injustices? _If there were no heroes anymore, then he would become one. He would show the world justice and he would achieve his goals no matter how many bodies he had to crawl over because he would be FUCKING DAMNED IF HE ALLOWED THE BULLSHIT JUSTICE OF THE WORLD TO DECIDE SHIDO WAS THE RIGHT ONE AND GORO WAS THE MISTAKE EVERYONE IN_

_THE_

_WHOLE_

_FUCKING_

_WORLD_

_WOULD DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE D **IE DIE DI** —_

Ren heaved, coming back to himself, feeling the cloak of the poisonous slime ooze out of his heart. The rage and despair faded, leaving Ren in a cold sweat.

“How did he do it?” Ren whispered. “How did he keep all that inside?”

The warden pushed the last coffee towards him. “That last one was Robusta, brewed specifically to bring out its more bitter notes.”

Ren clenched his hands, staring at the last cup. After a few moments, his shoulders sagged down and he was able to breathe more easily. He tried to still his shaking hand, but the contents of the mug teetered dangerously along the edges. Finally, Ren drank the cup.

And then he blacked out.

When he came to, gasping and reaching out, he found himself in one of the booths. Looking around, he noticed that his cognitive double was still behind the bar, casually leaning against it. Ren tried to regulate his breathing, leaning forward on his knees to calm his lungs. Finally, he noticed drops of water falling onto the ground in front of him. He removed his glove and felt along his bangs; they were damp with cold sweat, but not dripping. Hesitantly, he felt under his eyes.

He was sobbing. The hiccupping wasn’t hyperventilating. He was just sobbing.

He dug his palms into his eyes, screamed, and wailed. He cried and cried and cried until his eyes ran dry, but even then, the oppression on his heart did not abate.

“Columbian Bucaramanga Supremo,” the warden whispered. “Rich, sweet, mild acidity. Although, I suppose she wasn’t rich, was she?”

Long, long moments past before Ren felt in control of himself again. With a few lingering sniffles, he stood shakily from the booth. He acknowledged the tissues being pushed his way with a nod, taking a few to wipe his nose.

“Why are you being so accommodating?” he rasped.

The warden’s face screwed up into a grimace. “You call that accommodating? Didn’t realize you had a kink.”

“You know what I mean.”

The cognitive Ren’s eyes darkened, and his shoulders raised just slightly. His hands retreated into his suit pockets, hidden behind the green apron he wore. Glasses materialized over his eyes, the same thick-framed ones Ren wore.

“Oh. It’s a secret, then.”

The warden smirked.

With a sigh, Ren staggered up the stairs of LeBlanc, casting one last glance to the barista. Silver eyes were staring back. They gazed at each other for a while, but Ren’s vision was fading. The wall behind the warden was blank. With limbs feeling like lead, Ren quickly found the safe floor on the fourth floor and called it a day.

* * *

“Ren! What happened? You look awful!” Goro cried, grasping Ren’s arms as soon as Ren walked out of the metaverse. Ren looked up and grimaced, seeing the last dredges of sunlight barely clinging to the sky.

“I…didn’t expect a puzzle to be so difficult.”

Goro shook his head, eyes wide and face pale. “This has to stop. Every time you go in there, you come out worse. I can’t keep letting you do this for me.”

“Goro, I chose to do this, remember. I know what I agreed to.”

“You’re killing yourself over this!”

Ren smiled. “I’d die a hundred times over for you.”

Goro shoved Ren back, causing the black-haired teen to stumble a bit before he found a wall to lean against. The brunet’s face was twisted, his bared teeth and wide eyes wild, emphasized more by the redness painting his cheeks. “You fucking idiot! This isn’t a joke!”

“I know, Goro—”

“No, you fucking don’t! What don’t you get? Why do you keep sacrificing yourself for me? Stop trying to save me! I don’t deserve it!”

Ren startled. “What did you say?”

Suddenly, Goro blinked, and all traces of rage eased off his face as he pushed his bangs back. “I…I don’t…” The older teens shook his head, gripping his hair tighter with his eyes pinched shut.

“You’re _remembering_ , aren’t you?” Ren whispered.

Glossy, wine red eyes locked onto Ren’s. Goro nodded slowly.

Ren sagged against the wall. “What do you…?”

Tears slid down Goro’s cheeks, crystalline in the fading sunlight. “That I love you. I love you so, _so_ much. And that’s why I have to forget you.”

Ren found the strength to stand up on his own, shaking his head fervently. “No, you don’t.”

“You’ll just keep trying to save me—”

“I _want_ to—”

“—and keep hurting yourself for me—”

“—I’m doing this for _me_ , too—”

“—and you deserve _so much more_ than _me_ —”

“—doesn’t it matter what I _want_ —”

“—you’re going to die before you can save me!”

“Then I’ll finally have done something right!” Ren roared.

Both teens stared at each other, panting. With a scoff, Ren ducked his head and grabbed his bag. He turned away, intent on going to the station. Goro snapped out of his trance and grabbed Ren’s arm.

“Ren, this has to stop. Promise me you won’t go back in the palace.”

Ren eyes softened. “You remembered what we call them.”

“Promise me!” Goro demanded, straightening to his full height. “Please.”

Deep gray eyes hardened to steely gunmetal as Ren tugged his arm out of Goro’s hands. “The last time I promised you something, I lost you. Never again.” With that, Ren strode away quickly. Goro watched him go and couldn’t follow.

* * *

“Where the hell have you been now?” Masanori demanded as soon as Ren walked in.

Ren grit his teeth. “Out.”

“You’re supposed to come home as soon as you’re done with your stupid club.”

“Oh right, I should immediately want to come home to my prison. Forgive me for forgetting that I’m trapped here.”

Masanori sighed. “You are not trapped here.”

“Then why are there cameras everywhere, watching my every move? Why can’t I leave, except for the _mandatory_ school club? Why can’t I see my friends? Why do I have to stay in my room all day? That was a rule _you_ set.”

Masahiro’s mouth set into a straight line, edged in shrapnel. “Because you ran away. It was your punishment.”

“I didn’t run away. You keep saying you never even wanted me here. I left, because you’re a terrible father—”

“Don’t talk like that, Ren-kun,” Yoshie tried to intervene softly, but Ren refused to stop.

“—because you never cared about me and even told me you wished I wasn’t born—”

“Because you were always a troublesome child, Ren, or did you forget?”

“—and you’re the reason mom left, not me! Everyone in this family leaves because. Of. You.”

Masanori gripped the table, nostrils flared as his wide eyes glared holes into Ren. But the clear anger in those eyes egged Ren on. Weeks, _weeks_ of catering to this selfish, uncaring, _miserable_ excuse for a father; dealing with Goro’s _insane_ emotions; and forcibly holding Arséne back had finally bubbled over. Ren was done; _Joker_ was out.

“And you seem to think I’m not intelligent, but know what I figured out that you haven’t? Mom _never_ loved you. You and mom got married the same year I was conceived. What’s that tell you?”

“Shut up,” Masanori hissed.

“Mom remembered all _my_ birthdays. She remembered to see all _my_ games. Didn’t she forget your anniversary?”

“Shut the hell up, Ren.”

“Please, Ren-kun, Amamiya-san, don’t fight!”

“Mom got unlucky enough to have sex with you once, but she _loved me_. She just _put up_ with _you_. Jokes on you, though; she doesn’t love me enough to ever come back to you.”

Masanori bellowed, standing up and throwing the table across the room. Ren thanked his quick reflexes, able to duck out of the way.

“Amamiya-san, please calm down!” the woman pleaded again, but Masanori shoved her away, forcing her back to bang against the counter. Ren immediately shoved his father back, moving to stand in front Yoshie, and all the simmering rage at his situation left him; in its place, burning resentment.

“What the hell is wrong with you? She’s just trying to help!”

“Re-Ren-kun,” she whispered, gripping the back of his shirt as she hid behind him.

“Because of you, you fucking brat, I lost the love of my life!” Masanori bellowed. “All I ever wanted was for Susumu to love me! I _obsessed_ over her for years, following her like a fucking dog, only for her to fall in love with everyone else! But when they broke her heart, who was there? When she needed a friend, who was there? _Only me!!_ Finally, finally, we get drunk together, bemoaning some asshole boyfriend of hers, _and you’re the goddamn result!_

I thought it would be fine, because at least she was marrying me! I thought she’d learn to love me in time. But no, she loved _you_ , the fucking bastard child of ours!” His voice raised a few octaves as he waved his hands around in a mockery of daintiness. “Ren-chan got the highest marks! Ren-chan’s basketball team won! Ren-chan, Ren-chan, _Ren-chan!_ ”

Masanori’s voice was guttural now, chest heaving with deep breaths. “I hoped you would die, so I could have Susumu all to myself. But she only ever wanted you. She married me when her family pressured her to, but then she left anyway once you fucked up. Promised she would never return, but I figured she’d come back for you, since she wanted you so much. I figured she’d come back soon, once she heard your assault charge was reversed. It didn’t matter that you slept over at your stupid friend’s house, your legal address was here. As long as that was true, Susumu would come back.

And then I get a fucking petition in the mail, for you to go to fucking _Sakura_ , because—somehow—in one year, he’s a better father than me! And if I got it, that meant Susumu got it! Which means she knows _you want to leave me, just like she did!_ But I won’t give you the satisfaction, you little shit. Either you stay here and stay in this fucking hell _you’ve_ created for us, or Susumu will find out you’re still here and come back. But I won’t let both of you leave me, like I’m the fucking problem!”

Finally, it seemed Masanori had exhausted himself, collapsing back into his chair as he panted. Ren stayed near Yoshie, the woman peeking over his shoulder fearfully.

“So…you won’t let me leave, because some batshit crazy part of you thinks she’ll come back. And, if she doesn't come back, you’re going to keep me here as long as possible, so I suffer with you.”

Masanori let out a sardonic chuckle. “Yeah, that’s the plan.”

Ren’s eyes narrowed. “You’re disgusting.”

Masanori shrugged, leaning back to recline in the chair. “Who’s gonna believe a delinquent like you?”

“I’m taking Yoshie-san home.”

“You will go to your room. Iha-san will go home her fucking self, and she will never speak a word of this, or she’ll be fired and I will make sure to make her life fucking hell.”

Yoshie turned large eyes on Ren, her small frame shaking. Ren turned around and gently put his hands on her shoulders, leading her towards the door and grabbing her purse on the way. “It’ll be okay, Yoshie-san. You’re safe. Go get checked out and get some rest.”

“Wha-what about you, Ren-kun? I can’t just—just leave you here!” she whispered.

Ren smiled at her. “I’ll be okay. I promise.”

She hesitated at the doorway, but her eyes hardened. She gave a small, determined nod and left. Ren closed the door behind her and walked towards his room. He stopped next to his father but didn’t spare him a glance as he spoke.

“You’re a pathetic ‘nice guy’ who thinks women owe you sex if you’re remotely kind to them. Mom’s never coming home and, one way or another, I’ll be gone too. I hope you enjoy your own company, because experience has shown that no one can fucking stand you.”

With that, Ren walked into his room, closed the door, and locked it. As he leaned against his door, adrenalin slowly leaving his body, he pointedly ignored the sounds of a deadbolt being locked into place.

* * *

[ _WE MISS RENREN Chat]_

_18.07.20XX_

_Catherine: Have you heard anything from the social worker, Goro-kun?_

_Bishounen: Unfortunately not. They refuse to speak to me regarding the particulars of the case. I did see Minato-san and Yuu-san a while ago, though._

_Magellan: Do you know what they’ve been up to?_

_Bishounen: Just found out that Amamiya submitted a restraining order on them, so they’ve been laying low._

_Johnny Bravo: For real?! That sucks!_

_Bishounen: Also…Ren has not been to school in several days. His father called and said he’s sick, but…_

_Pavlova: Akechi-senpai?_

_Bishounen: Ren and I had a fight the day before he stopped coming to school._

_Bishounen: I’m worried he took that out on his father._

_Catherine: Why did you two fight???_

_Bishounen: …_

_Bishounen: I have a palace. Ren has been going into it to steal my heart, because I’ve been forgetting Ren. We had a fight because the last time he came out…he didn’t look good._

_Bishounen: No, he looked awful._

_Johnny Brovo: Jesus_

_Bishounen: I wanted himt o stop_

_Thor: Akechi-kun? Are you okay?_

_Bishounen: bt he said he’d rather die than stop helping me you guys have to help Ren_

_Thor: Goro-kun, calm down. Don’t worry._

_Magellan: For realz!! Don’t worry, Goro. Believe in us._

_Bishounen: …_

_Bishounen: Thank you._

_Sonya Blade: Of course we’ll help. But, you remember palaces, now?_

_Bishounen: After Ren’s last excursion, I suddenly remembered flashes of what happened in Tokyo._

_Bishounen: But it also feels like my brain is aggressively trying to make me forget Ren. I have to write notes about him and read them daily._

_Pavlova: Akechi-senpai…_

_Sonya Blade: But why are you just telling us this now? Why did Ren think he had to do this alone?_

_Bishounen: He says it’s because he caused the accident that resulted in my memory loss._

_Sonya Blade: ???_

_Catherine: Oh ffs_

_Johnny Bravo: that gd idiot_

_Michelangelo: The very assumption is inane and untrue_

_Magellan: THIS IS WHY REN CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS_

_Bishounen: Judging by your reactions, he did not in fact cause my accident._

_Thor: Not even in the slightest. He’s just an idiot that likes to feel guilty all the damn time_

_Catherine: WHICH I THOUGHT WE FIXED_

_Pavlova: jesus mary joseph and the goat_

_Michelangelo: We’ve all been too hesitant._

_Thor: Yusuke-kun?_

_Sonya Blade: What are you suggesting?_

_Michelangelo: Are we not the former Phantom Thieves of Hearts? Do we not, together, have more resources than most to fight the injustices lain upon us? Did we not conquer the justice system once, when it dared to chain down our leader?_

_Thor: Well said, Yusuke-kun!_

_Pavlova: Absolutely!_

_Magellan: Wow, Inari_

_Bishounen: He’s right. Fuck this._

_Johnny Bravo: holy shit akechi just cursed omg_

_Bishounen: We’ve all been playing nice and sitting back, hoping someone else solves the problem._

_Bishounen: I did that, too. I hoped that Ren would fix everything and did nothing to help him._

_Sonya Blade: He’s right._

_Thor: The system worked in our favor once, and we became complacent._

_Michelangelo: Yes. We believed we would no longer have to strive hard for justice._

_Johnny Bravo: Well, in the eloquent words of Akechi…FUCK THIS._

_Johnny Bravo: Lets bust loose!!_

_Bishounen: Let’s call the others. We’ve got an idiot to save_

* * *

Minato sat beside his sister, holding her hand in his tightly. Together, they gazed at the Velvet Room door. Yuu had gone out to pick up Goro, after the brunet called them, voice urgent.

Minato was the only holder of the Universe arcana. For a short while, he was arrogant enough to believe it meant he was just a little bit more special than the other wild cards. He, alone, was the voice of Philemon and the executor of Philemon’s will.

Not that Minato ever doubted that Philemon believed in humans, but after seeing what happened to Ren, Minato realized that he wasn’t special. As much as Philemon believed in the potential of humans, to that great being, humans were also specimens to observe in their tiny jar. The experiences they had meant nothing to Philemon, who would continue finding new, more interesting wild cards to test.

Minato was just another piece in Philemon’s long game.

Still, he couldn’t say he didn’t appreciate the benefits of being Philemon’s favorite pawn. He saw her every day, after all.

But then Minato would think about curly, black hair that slid easily through his fingers; thought about the large, bright smile that would grace Minato when he did that; he thought about the still visible needle tracks on his neck and arms; the dark circles that never quite disappeared from under quicksilver eyes; the first time he heard him say “mom.”

Minato’s and Minako’s curse was that their faces could never fully express the deep, yawning love in their hearts for everyone. The first person to see through Minato’s apathy was Yuu, who did his best to be the bearer of Minato’s—admittedly suffocating—affection. Minako also tried to bear it, but she had her own overflowing fountain of love to bestow, and Shinjiro—who so desperately craved love—was perfect. Yuu was also perfect for Minato, like no one else could ever hope to be, but Minato had so much affection inside him that he wanted to shower on someone, he couldn’t help but crave more.

Whenever he tried, though, he inevitably creeped the person out. Without fail, his affections, if not restrained, threatened all his romantic entanglements and friendships, with the exception of Yuu. It was part of the reason Minato was so jealous of Yuu’s easy friendships and Ren’s closeness with his thieves. Yuu and Ren had no problem giving affection. Their brand of love was so easy to accept, that their groups had become true friends. In contrast, Minato’s inability to show the right emotion on his face while expressing it (and that whole having to die for the world thing) kept people away. Made his friends more like his comrades in war. It took Minato dying and coming back for the closeness Minato craved with his friends to become a reality.

But his affections were still off-putting.

Minato figured if he couldn’t find anyone who understood how he expressed love, perhaps a child would understand. Minato could be there for the child, always. Show the child love and guidance and acceptance, the way Minato sorely wished he and Minako had. But that was a distant dream.

Until Ren.

Ren didn’t mind if Minato hugged Ren, face unchanging. He didn’t mind when Minato pet his hair, eyes blank. He didn’t mind the apathetic line of Minato’s mouth when Minato spoiled Ren.

Minato needed to love. That was his burden, as the child of the universe. He loved the world, so he died for it. He loved the world, so he came back for it. He loved the world, but the world didn’t love him.

Yuu loved him, and it was enough. But why have enough, when Minato could be happy?

Having Yuu and Ren made Minato _happy_.

But at what cost?

Minato glanced at his sister. She smiled back at him.

It didn’t matter, in the end, what the cost would be. Minato had already decided to pay it, the second he asked Yuu to pick up Goro.

“So, this is goodbye?” she whispered, voice thick.

Minato nodded.

“I’m going to do something that will probably get me in trouble. But…it’s the right thing to do.”

Minako nodded, slowly drawing Minato into a hug. “You don’t have to sacrifice yourself anymore. You deserve to reach for your own happiness. Don’t doubt that for a second.”

Minato closed his eyes and pet her hair, willing himself to memorize every detail. “And you’ve given enough to everyone. Live for yourself.”

Minako nodded, surreptitiously wiping her eyes as she pulled away. With a wavering smile, she stood and walked to the Velvet Room. Already, the door was less solid than it had ever been. It seemed Philemon was aware of Minato’s decision.

“Don’t you dare regret this for one second, ‘Nato,” Minako said as she opened the door. “He deserves parents who love him. There wouldn’t be any better parents than you and Yuu-chan.”

Minato nodded, eyes hooded and misty. “Don’t forget me.”

Minako chuckled weakly through her tears, pulling the door closed. “…come back to me?”

The Velvet Room door closed and, as the front door opened and Yuu called out a greeting, the blue door faded away. Thorns stabbed at Minato’s throat, making the blue-haired man wince, but this time, fate would not keep Minato silent.

He didn’t care anymore about the rules.

“Gocchan,” he rasped, turning to face the brunet. Yuu stood behind Goro, smiling sadly at Minato. The brunet’s eyes were tired, and the hand buried in his hair looked like it was tearing at the strands, but the determined line of his shoulders was bolstering. “Tell us everything. We’re going to help Ren. I promise.”

**_The Universe – Arisato Minato – Rank MAX_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see! it gets better!
> 
> mostly


	7. "…I will carve my own path for myself."

_"…I will carve my own path for myself."_

* * *

**_The Universe – Arisato Minato – Rank MAX_ **

Ren’s head snapped up. He had been sitting on his bed, huddled into a small ball. Ever since his father locked him up, Ren had lost the will to fight. The door was locked; his trips to the bathroom were monitored; Yoshie-san had not returned either. His phone had been taken away as a final precaution, even though his apps were all locked. Ren had no way to reach Goro or his friends. In the days that had passed, Ren was sure Goro would forget Ren and everything he worked for would be for nothing. What was the point in fighting, then?

But then, Ren felt his bond with Minato solidify, breaking another chain still attached to his heart. Usually, something Ren did would complete the bond, but Yuu and Minato’s bonds had always been rare, in that seemingly inconsequential things strengthened their bonds. Until now, Ren wasn’t sure what exactly caused their bonds to increase and less so now, when he wasn’t even anywhere near Minato.

Or so he thought.

First, came the banging. Even from his room, Ren could hear loud banging on the door and his father yelling at someone to go away. Curious, Ren crossed the room to press his ear against the door. Gray eyes widened as he realized the owner of the other voice.

“—I don’t care, he’s coming with me!” the voice cried, an odd mimicry of Minato’s.

But Minato’s voice was always monotone, even when he was excited, or sad, or angry. In the admittedly short time that Ren had known the blue-haired wild card, he’d never raised his voice once. Still, everyone he’d ever talked to who was close to Minato would affirm the same thing—Minato was a creature of apathy. Of course, to Ren, it wasn’t so much apathy as Minato being unable to translate his feelings on his face; Ren could clearly see the emotions Minato had been taught to repress in Minato’s actions. To others, though, Minato was faceless and, thus, emotionless.

But there was _so much_ emotion in the voice outside Ren’s room.

“You’ve hurt him enough!” the same voice cried and the sounds of objects being thrown escalated. Frantically, Ren started to bang on his own door.

“Ren?” another, deeper voice called. Yuu.

“You leave that door alone! He’s being punished!” Masanori shouted.

“That’s quite enough,” a new voice boomed; the imperious quality of it, of a person who was used to being listened to absolutely, made it immediately obvious who the owner was. “We’ve brought child protective services with us. We’ve got the authority to remove Amamiya from your guardianship.”

The door finally opened, and Ren stared wide-eyed at the scene. Yuu was holding Masanori to the floor, a move Ren remembered Yuu showing him when Ren expressed interest in being an investigator briefly; Kirijo Mitsuru stood near the open doorway, where a frazzled social worker was speaking quickly on their phone, rambling out the address to the apartment; and in Ren’s threshold was Minato.

Ren could see how others would assume there was no emotion on Minato’s face; the differences in his expressions were that subtle. But to Ren, his face looked completely different. His brows were furrowed deeply, his mouth a severe line, with deep blue eyes looking moist. “Ren?”

Ren immediately dove for Minato’s arms, nearly toppling the slender man, but Minato held firm and wrapped his own arms around the teen. Ren held on tightly, hearing the strain of the threads in Minato’s shirt, but Minato’s hold felt strong enough to bruise.

“We’re here now, Ren. You’re coming home,” Minato whispered.

Despite their dramatic entrance, actually moving Ren turned out to be fairly anticlimactic. The police arrived, removing Masanori to temporarily hold him in custody while Ren packed his things under the careful surveillance of Yuu, Minato, and Mitsuru. As Ren packed, Minato spoke quietly, filling Ren in on what had happened so far.

The other thieves had pressed their contacts and done their research; through Goro, they reached out to Yuu and Minato, who themselves had grown dissatisfied with their own inaction. Realizing they had fallen into their own version of wild card hubris, Minato finally reached out to Mitsuru for help. Through Futaba and Fuuka’s combined efforts, they were able to find Yoshie’s recently delivered testimony to another social worker about Ren’s current home life, and had it swiftly sent to Ren’s social worker instead of languishing in piles of paperwork for months. Yuu’s own connections through Naoto and Dojima, along with Mitsuru’s connections as the de facto queen of Iwatodai, allowed them to mobilize a police officer to stand by while they investigated Yoshie’s testimony. To further ease Ren’s burden, Minato’s friend Chihiro was still a very involved member of the school board at Gekkoukan and was able to explain his circumstances to so that he could catch up on his work.

Once more, it seems the bonds he formed had come forth to break this chains.

**_The World – Narukami Yuu – Rank 4_ **

Ren blinked, glancing at Yuu, who was talking to the other officer. Ren knew he barely understood how Yuu’s and Minato’s arcana grew, but now he was more unsure.

“Mom,” Ren interrupted, and Minato snapped to attention. “Do you have a bond with me?”

Minato tilted his head. “Of course. You’re a new one, though. You’re my Faith arcana.”

Ren blinked, feeling a pleased thrum of energy from Maria. “I’m Faith for you? You’re Universe for me. And our bond…”

“It’s solidified into an unbreakable one,” Minato smiled gently.

Ren sat beside Minato on the bed. “I don’t understand how, though.”

Minato wrapped an arm around the younger man and, when he spoke, his voice was suddenly raspy. “Do you know what the Universe arcana represents?” Ren shook his head, and Minato continued. “It was the power to bring about a new beginning or the ultimate end. It represents limitless possibilities.” Minato chuckled at the blank look on Ren’s face. “You’re my Faith arcana, because of your power to believe in other people. For Yuu and I, we’ve always felt like we’ve got the world on our shoulders. I know you felt that way, too, but you also felt like you could really rely on your friends. More than some intransient bond that helped you overcome some great evil, you’ve seen time and again those friends come together to help _you_ , unlike Yuu and I. Not in some metaphysical world, but in the real world.

You taught me to have faith in people, to start trusting them as much as they trust me. You do the same for Yuu. But this wasn’t a case of me helping you realize something. _You_ helped _me_. I didn’t understand what you meant, at first, about having a will of rebellion.

But when I decided to go against Philemon’s rules to save you, in whatever manner I could, I found that will to rebel. I had faith it would all turn out well, because I was doing the right thing.”

Ren’s eyes were wide. “ _I_ helped _you_ …?”

Minato hugged Ren, gently this time. “More than you know.”

“But then…Yuu’s bond for me is the World.”

Minato shrugged as he pulled away. “I think it’s best you figure that one out on your own. Let’s head home.”

* * *

As soon as he walked through the door, Morgana leapt into his arms, purring and rubbing his head against Ren’s chin. Ren blinked rapidly, hoping to delay the burn behind his eyes.

“We’re so sorry, Ren, for taking so long,” Morgana whispered.

Ren chuckled weakly, his arms tightening around Morgana. “Don’t apologize.”

Gently repositioning Morgana in his arms, Ren was able to actually look into the room, and blinked in surprise. The living room was practically full to the brim with people, holding balloons and party poppers, spraying confetti everywhere as they cheered. Ren’s eyes teared, recognizing all his confidants—Iwai, Yoshida, Takemi, to name a few—cheerfully smiling at him. Amongst them, the Shadow Operatives and some of Yuu and Minato’s friends, all mingled as well. A large “Welcome home, Renren!” banner hung in the archway between the living room and kitchen.

Behind him, the social worker squeezed past, and Yuu immediately pulled them aside to talk. At the same moment, Minato slid next to Ren, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him into a one-armed hug. “I missed you, Ren.”

“I missed you so much, mom,” Ren whispered back, enjoying the small grin stretching across Minato’s face.

“Why do you only ever hug _him_?” a loud, familiar voice yelled, and Ryuji and the rest of the Phantom Thieves pushed themselves to the front of the large crowd. “Don’t you love me, too, bro?”

“Bro.”

“Bro.”

“BRO.”

“BRO.”

“I LOVE YOU, BRO,” Ren bellowed, ignoring Morgana’s squawking.

“I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, BRO,” Ryuji hollered back, hugging Ren’s other side.

Makoto groaned loudly. “I hate you both so much.”

Futaba immediately squeezed her arms around Ren and hugged him tight and Minato stepped back to give them room. Soon, the rest of his friends gathered around as well, all of them clamoring for space. Ryuji on one side, Haru on the other, Futaba latched to his front, Morgana perched on his head, Yusuke leaning against his back, Ann resting her head on Ryuji’s shoulder, Makoto hugging Futaba, and Sumire giggling from beside Yusuke; Ren felt every bit of love he ever needed in this over-large embrace.

Finally, Ren’s stomach growling was enough to make them laugh and pull apart, in time for Ren’s eyes to meet Sojiro’s. With a fond smile, the older man pulled Ren into his own embrace, and Ren felt his age for the first time in a long while.

“Sorry about that, kid. Still want to be a Sakura?”

Ren nodded, unable to talk around the knot in his throat.

“Good. Now, I made everyone some curry, but I get the feeling we should probably get you fed before anything else.” Sojiro pulled away, ruffled Ren’s hair, and then walked to the kitchen, where Ren saw Sae holding up a prepared plate for him. Laughing, Ann pushed him towards the kitchen, and Ren was stopped frequently by faces he knew and he didn’t know. Fuuka, Akihiko, Mitsuru, Naoya, Tatsuya, Yosuke, Chie, and more all pulled him into headlocks and hugs, and Ren felt like he was floating.

By the time he got to the kitchen, Sojiro was grumbling about needing to eat the curry while it was still hot. Finally, he sat down, surrounded by his closest friends, as they caught him up on what had been happening while Ren was locked away. Once he finished, Yuu joined them all.

“We don’t have to refile for your petition, but we will have to confront Amamiya again and have him sign the forms. Do you want to do that, Ren?”

Ren nodded, each hand gripping one of his friends’.

“Okay, then. We’ll go together. After that, we just have to wait a couple of months for processing, but you will officially be a resident of this apartment as of this moment forward.” Yuu placed at hand on Ren’s shoulder. “Welcome home.”

Ren smiled. “I’m home.” He turned to everyone gathered around the table. “Thank you so much for doing this for me. I really lost hope for a second there.”

“Of course, we’ll come back to help you,” Ann insisted.

“Speaking of help,” Makoto said, “There’s one other issue we’ve got to discuss. Akechi-kun told us about the palace. Why would you try to do that alone?”

Ren looked away. “You were all working so hard to get me out of that apartment. I couldn’t ask for more.” Ren glanced around the room. “Is that why Goro isn’t here?”

Futaba frowned. “His memory has gotten so bad…just talking to us caused him severe migraines and he had to keep pictures and detailed notes of you around to remember you. Even those ended up hurting him, though, so he had to get rid of them. Now, he doesn’t remember _us_ anymore. He still talks to Minato, though.”

“It’s that bad?” Ren bit his lip. “I should’ve broken out somehow.”

Yuu shook his head. “You’re all the experts as far as palaces, but as I understand, this is likely happening because Ren reached so far into the palace on his own. Now, Goro-chan’s distortions are fighting back. This would’ve happened even if you were there every day.”

Ren looked up at his friends. All the Phantom Thieves settled around the table, staring at him. Beside him, Yuu’s hand was a comforting weight on his shoulder. Minato stood in the archway of the kitchen, a gentle barrier between Ren and the overwhelming party beyond the threshold. Sae and Sojiro lounged against the kitchen counter, watching him. He glanced down at his lap, where Morgana was gently pawing at him.

His mouth in a determined line, Ren took off his final mask, laying the glasses on the table. “Will you guys help me steal Goro’s heart?”

“Like we’d let you do this alone!” Ryuji laughed. The rest of his friends cheerfully agreed.

“Looks like the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are officially un-retired,” Morgana announced, jumping on the table before them. “And we’re saving one of our own.”

Ann stood up, putting her hand in the middle of them all. “Everyone bring it in! C’mon leader! Give us one more chant!”

With laughs and groans going around, everyone put their hands in on top of Ann’s, until only Ren was left. With a soft smile, he looked at them all and felt the chains of his heart shatter.

As long as he had his friends, he was free.

**_The World – Narukami Yuu – Rank 5_ **

“We’ll steal your hearts!”

“Yeah!”

Giggling the teens broke off into groups to begin planning and Ren walked away to Minato, Morgana snug in his arms. Finally, Ren started turning his head left and right, frowning.

“Wait…where’s the Velvet Room?”

Minato’s smile was brittle. “Ah, right. The Velvet Room door there was brought in because we had Philemon’s favor. But…we broke the rules, so…”

Ren’s eyes widened and tears pricked at his eyes. “…Minako-san?”

The blue-haired man shrugged. “We’ll see each other again someday. We promised.”

“No! Can you get it back? I…why would you give that up for me?” Morgana winced and Ren startled, realizing his arms were too tight around the cat. He apologized softly and loosened his hold. Finally, Minato sighed.

“It isn’t that I chose to give up ‘Nako. Those were just the consequences of my actions. What I _chose_ to do was to protect you and I do not regret it.” Oceanic eyes bored holes into Ren’s, and for the first time since they’d met, Minato’s face was fully expressive without a hint of apathy. For the first time since he could remember, Ren felt the hole in heart left by his parents had been stitched closed. “As long as we’re here, you will never be alone. I will make sure of it.”

Ren blinked, his eyes sliding towards Yuu. For a second, Yuu froze, then a small smile spread across his face. Yuu’s gaze met Ren’s and the older wild card winked, before turning back to Makoto to continue their discussion. Ren turned to face Minato, whose own gaze hadn’t wavered.

“As long as I have The World…”

“You’ll never be alone.”

A grateful smile spread across Ren’s face. Finally, Ren understood.

Minato grinned. “Now, let’s go save your boyfriend.”

* * *

The party wound down fairly quickly, since everyone had to go back to their homes the normal way. After promises to visit soon, everyone but the phantom thieves left. Sojiro, who intended to see Masanori with Yuu and Ren, also stayed but chose to retire to his hotel while the teens discussed their latest infiltration. Sae joined him, but promised to return for their meeting with Masanori.

In the quiet, Ren told the others about what he’d experienced so far in Goro’s palace.

“What could that last drink have been?” Haru muttered sadly.

Ren’s lips tightened. “I think…the day he found his mother.”

Ryuji hissed sympathetically. “She killed herself, didn’t she? I can’t imagine finding your parent like that. How old was he?”

Ren shook his head. “Young enough to have been carted through at least 20 different foster homes and orphanages. I imagine that finally stopped when he met Shido and was able to afford his own apartment.”

“And now you’ve reached the fourth floor,” Makoto murmured, rubbing her chin. “What I find really odd is that the warden didn’t take that chance to attack you with shadows.”

“Yeah, every time we confronted the palace rulers before we found their treasures, they’d sic shadows on us,” Ann added.

“He’s not the palace ruler, though,” Morgana replied. “He’s just the cognition running the palace at the time. If Ren’s guess is right, Goro is an inmate somewhere in the palace. And, if his palace is similar to Futaba’s, that means Goro’s shadow itself is the treasure we’ll be stealing.”

Yusuke looked over the drawing of the map Ren had him make. “The fifth floor…doesn’t it look like two apartments?” The others gathered around the table and noises of agreement filled the air.

“So, cognitive Ren is probably on that floor and the other half of that floor is probably where Goro-kun is,” Haru surmised.

“It still doesn’t explain why the other Ren didn’t try to stop you,” Makoto insisted. “He could’ve attacked you, but he just had you drink some coffees and then let you keep going.”

Ryuji tilted his head. “Maybe that’s the point?”

Ann looked at the blond. “You really think so?”

“Think about it,” Ryuji said, leaning his elbows on his knees as he slouched forward. “Akechi’s cups of feels were all moments that must have really affected him. I bet money those three moments were his mother’s suicide, when he found out Shido was his father, and when he fell in love with Ren. That other Ren wasn’t trying to stop Joker; he was trying to make Joker understand Akechi more.

I don’t think that other Ren is trying to stop Renren. I think that other Ren is trying to help. He’s a cognition in _Akechi’s_ mind and, at the end of the day, Akechi loves Renren.”

“That’s an interesting interpretation,” Yusuke said, sitting on the arm of the chair and leaning on the now sputtering blond. “Well done, Ryuji.”

Haru hummed. “Now that I think about it, right before we thought he died, I got the feeling that Goro-kun was going to accept our offer. All his life, he’s waited for someone to reach out to him. I think, deep down, there is good in Goro-kun. Deep, deep, _deep_ down—”

“Thanks, Haru,” Ren put in dryly.

“—but he’s never been in a situation where he could be safe to be good. At the very heart of Goro-kun, I think he wants to be helped and be safe.”

“And he feels safe with Joker-senpai,” Sumire said.

“And perhaps the other Ren knows this,” Morgana interjected, “But he’s stuck between preserving the palace and helping Ren destroy it.”

“But _why_ am I the warden?” Ren bemoaned. “Why am _I_ the one imprisoning Goro?”

“That is a question I believe only Goro himself can answer,” Yusuke replied softly.

Makoto sighed and stood up. “Okay, we’ve talked enough. Unfortunately, we’ve got to get going back to Shibuya, but we’ll be back as soon as we can. I wish there was a long holiday coming up, so we could finish this quickly.”

Ren frowned. “I don’t think it can wait, though. If Goro’s memory loss is affecting him as strongly as you say, how much longer until this bleeds into the rest of his life?”

“That’s true,” Futaba muttered. “And who knows if this affects him permanently? If it wasn’t for you guys, I would have died…”

“Honestly, permanent amnesia might be the least of our concerns,” Morgana said gravely. “Being a persona user is a part of Goro. His experiences are integral to the person he is. If his shadow cannot overcome this palace…”

“He might lose his shadow,” Minato finished for Morgana, walking towards the teens. “And if he loses his shadow, he might die, right?”

“But, how would he even lose his shadow just because we leave his palace alone?” Ryuji asked.

“This palace sounds a lot like the TV World,” Minato replied. “Rather than a place that lauds Gocchan’s twisted desires, it’s a place where he has decided to punish himself for something. He’s not in control there. In the TV World Yuu dealt with, when people with the potential for personas could not face their shadows, they died. In the TV world, their shadows would kill the physical human. If Gocchan’s palace can’t kill the physical human, the next best thing is hurting his shadow. Is there anything in there that could hurt Gocchan?”

Ren paled. “The surgical floor. The patients they bring to the floor to get lobotomies.”

“How are we supposed to know when his shadow will go there?” Futaba bit her lip.

Ren closed his eyes, concentrating as he tried to remember any clue that could help. “Wait…The Sayuri…”

Yusuke perked up. “Mother’s painting?”

“In the version of LeBlanc in Goro’s palace, the wall wasn’t taken up by the Sayuri.”

Makoto crossed her arms. “Is that relevant? Maybe Goro-kun didn’t really notice it.”

Yusuke shook his head. “Impossible. Goro was an accomplished liar, but his demeanor was entirely different when he was genuine. I am absolutely certain that our conversations regarding the mysterious beauty of mother’s painting were sincere.”

“There’s something significant about it, but I was too out of it to really notice,” Ren replied.

“I wish we could stay,” Sumire lamented.

“Don’t worry,” Minato smiled. “He’s not alone. He’s a Shadow Operative now, too. We can support him. You guys can steal Gocchan’s heart over the weekend.”

Haru smiled. “With three wild cards all going in together, I feel like Goro-kun’s palace will be a piece of cake.”

Morgana hummed, eyes narrowed. “It’s been too easy as it is. I know his palace must be recently formed, but something about this makes me suspicious. Either way, we’ll secure the route to the treasure by the time you all return.”

Ren glanced at the calendar on the wall. Wednesday, July 19th. “So, we have 3 days to secure a route and give Goro his calling card, then we’ll all meet again on Saturday.”

Plans made, the group said their farewells and piled into the van. Ren watched them go, a feeling of nostalgia coming over him. After the van was gone from sight, Ren returned back upstairs and quickly scooped Morgana into a hug. The cat purred in return as Ren sat down beside Minato. Yuu sat on his other side, wrapping an arm around Ren’s shoulders. Ren smiled, resting his head on Minato’s shoulder.

“We really only have one day to do this,” Yuu said, breaking the silence. “Mitsuru’s influence works fast. Next week, we’ve got to go to child services. They’ll bring in Amamiya and we’ll all talk to a judge. Sojiro-san and Sae-san will also be there.”

“They’ve chosen to stay here for the week with us,” Minato explained, “and we think all of us should take a day, sit down, and talk about everything that’s happened.”

Ren shrugged, petting Morgana gently.

“ _Everything_ ,” Minato stressed again, catching Ren’s gaze.

“I don’t…”

Yuu shook his head. “We’ve been through some awful stuff, but you’ve really been put through the wringer, Ren-chan. We want to know the full extent and then we’re going to work with Sae-san to legally allow us to find you a doctor.”

Ren frowned. “I have Takemi.”

Minato smiled sadly. “We all know that’s not what we’re talking about.”

“Who would I even talk to that would believe me?” Ren muttered.

“I have a friend who went through some pretty tough things herself. She found a support system in Junpei, and now she’s a counselor while she works on getting her psychiatry license,” Minato smiled. “She’s also a former persona user.”

“Yoshino-san is hoping to join the Shadow Operatives as their de facto mental health advisor,” Yuu confirmed. “So, nothing will be a surprise to her.”

Ren sighed but eventually nodded. “Yeah…that might be a good idea. After we finish the palace, do you think Goro…?”

“We will ask Goro-chan to see her as well,” Yuu replied. “As soon as he’s ready.”

Ren swallowed thickly, but he nodded again. It was a start.

* * *

Although he’d already been gone from school for a while, Minato and Yuu were quick to agree that Ren needed some time to collect himself again after his experience at his father’s house. They decided not to let Ren go back until Goro’s palace had been dealt with. It had the added benefit of not risking an adverse reaction in Goro; luckily, the brunet was still in communication with Minato. It was clear from the stilted text messages, however, Goro was trying to piece together why he even knew the blue-haired man to begin with.

As promised, Sae and Sojiro arrived after breakfast and, over the course of a few hours, all four adults coaxed Ren into telling the full extent of his experience over the past year. The conversation had been brutal, in that Ren didn’t expect to still feel so strongly over certain things. Although they all had some idea of what had happened, Yuu—ever the investigator—pressed for details and Minato kept reminding Ren to delve into how the experiences made him feel. The entire conversation, Ren’s eyes kept glancing at Sojiro’s white knuckles, the severe line of Sae’s lips, Morgana’s twitching tail, Yuu’s drawn face, and Minato’s open but sad eyes.

By the time Ren finished completely, including his recent forays into Goro’s palace, it was evening, and no one had eaten yet. With a sigh, Minato decided against cooking and ordered delivery. The brief break to decide what they would eat helped lift the oppressive air.

“I can’t believe all this was happening under my nose,” Sojiro muttered once the order was placed. “I’m your guardian; you were supposed to be able to rely on me, not the other way around.”

Sae shook her head. “I’m sorry, Amamiya-kun. We asked far too much of you kids.”

Ren didn’t meet their eyes.

Minato stared at the black-haired teen for a bit before turning to Sae. “Do you think it’ll be all right for us to find him a counselor he can talk to?” Sae was quick to agree and she and Minato walked to the kitchen to figure out the particulars.

“I’m so sorry, Ren,” Sojiro whispered, leaning forward on his thighs and ducking his head. Ren frowned and reached a hand out, grabbing Sojiro’s wrist.

“It’s…not okay, but it wasn’t your fault, Sojiro,” Ren finally said, voice rough. “We were all drawn into circumstances that were unfair and we all did the best we could.”

With a weak smile, Sojiro patted Ren’s hand. “But from now on, you let me in, you hear? You’re not alone anymore. You’re not the kid who has to save the world this year. Got it?”

Yuu smiled and nodded. “And if you have to save the world again, we’ll be here.”

“No more sacrificing yourself, Ren,” Sojiro said gruffly. “You’re allowed to want to live for yourself, too.”

Ren’s eyes softened as he whispered his agreement, the now familiar tingle of his bond growing stronger warming him.

**_The World – Narukami Yuu – Rank 6_ **

* * *

With one day left to secure the route before the others came, Yuu, Minato, Ren, and Morgana wasted little time the next morning. They waited until they were less likely to be noticed, and then Ren led them into the metaverse. This time, however, Ren noticed there was something different about the palace. The sky was darker and the once impenetrable looking walls were cracked and crumbling.

“Is this what it always looks like?” Yuu asked, clad in his rebellion clothing.

Ren shook his head, mouth drawn.

“Well then, let’s get going,” Minato replied. “It seems we’re running short on time.”

Ren nodded and glanced at Minato. Then his head whipped back again. “ _That’s_ your spirit of rebellion?”

Minato’s face barely twitched, but Ren could clearly see the irritated pout on his face. Judging by Yuu’s laugh, he could see it too.

Minato’s face was mostly covered by a black mask with an extended, pointed, slightly curved nose. The mask was strapped around his head, part of the mask covered by his sweeping blue hair. The mask’s eyes were encased in glass, in a weird mix of steampunk and plague doctor. His black turtleneck was covered by the long, black scarf haphazardly loped around his neck. The edge of his scarf had a coffin design on it, similar to Thanatos’ chained cape. Tight black pants were encased in thigh-high white boots and matching gloves covered his hands. On his hip was his trusty rapier, encased in a white sheath.

“What do I look like?” Minato finally asked.

“Like you’re cosplaying Thanatos,” Yuu replied with a large grin. “Badly.”

“You’re one to talk.”

Morgana rolled his eyes. “Can we focus? Something is obviously wrong with this palace.”

Attention refocused, they followed Ren through his entrance up to the fourth-floor safe room. From there, they retreated back down to the cognitive Leblanc. This time, the café was empty and, like last time, the Sayuri was missing. In its place was a small calendar. Circled in red was the date Sunday, the 22nd.

Minato frowned. “So, that’s our deadline.”

Ren sighed in relief. “We have to secure the route. The others will be here in time to steal the treasure.”

Morgana titled his head. “Where is the Sayuri, then? If Yusuke said he talked to Akechi about it often, why isn’t here?”

“We won’t find answers here,” Minato replied. “Let’s move.”

They returned to the fourth floor, walked past the safe room, and pushed open the doors to the floor.

And were met with the winding subway tracks of Mementos.

Ren looked around in wonder as they went from a hallway to the turnstiles right in front of Mementos. Glancing at his phone confirmed they were still within Goro’s palace, though.

“The distortion is especially strong,” Morgana noted. “We’re close to the treasure. It must really be on the fifth floor.”

“I wonder if this floor will operate like the real Mementos,” Yuu muttered.

There were no extra clues, however, so Morgana transformed into the Monabus and they piled in to drive on. Just like the real Mementos, there were paths that lead to dead ends and even treasure chests, though the chests were all empty. Finally, one path lead them forward and the figure standing in front of the dead end caused Ren to grip the wheel hard enough to earn a reprimand from Morgana.

“Goro?” he whispered.

They ran out to him, Morgana back to his usual form, and sure enough Goro stood there. The brunet was clad in his Black Mask outfit and, when he turned around, Ren could see that part of his mask had been broken off; rips adorned the swirling black and blue outfit; Ren’s fists clenched when he noticed the bullet wound in Goro’s forehead, sluggishly bleeding. Unlike the mask of rage Goro’s face had been contorted in the last time Ren saw this version, Goro’s face was peaceful and blank. Still, Ren’s chest tightened as the wound continued to bleed and he could almost see the engine room again. Despite his misgivings—despite knowing this wasn’t the _real_ Goro—Ren found himself stepping closer, lest he be separated by another metal door.

“Goro?” he called tentatively. Goro turned, but when their eyes met, Ren saw gold eyes instead of crimson.

“Amamiya?” the copy asked, “Why are you here?”

Ren’s voice was caught in his throat, but Minato’s warm hand at his shoulder restarted his heart. “I’m here to help you, Goro.”

The shadow chuckled, shaking his head. “You can’t help me, Amamiya. I’m already dead. I lost my life on that ship.”

“No, you didn’t,” Ren insisted. “Somehow you survived, and now I’m stealing your heart.”

Goro stared at Ren, golden eyes so blank, Ren could see his own face in them. Without warning, a slow smile spread across his lips as black swirls circled his feet. “I chose to die, Amamiya. I’ll make you accept that.”

Shockwaves of darkness nearly blew the team back. Black Mask floated a few inches from the ground and inky black tendrils oozed from him until he transformed into a familiar figure with a long shotgun and chains rattling around him.

“The reaper…” Morgana breathed. “Why is the reaper here?! He only appears in Mementos!”

“It doesn’t matter,” Ren replied, jumping into formation. “Take it down, like always.”

With three fully realized wild cards, the battle was over quickly. Even so, Ren noticed that this reaper wasn’t as powerful as the one in Mementos. Soon, the darkness that had encased the shadow bled away, leaving the Black Mask-clad Goro kneeling on the floor. This time, the shadow’s gold eyes were overflowing with tears. Unbidden, Ren ran over and hugged him, cradling the teen’s head.

“Goro,” he whispered, “it’s okay. I’m here.”

The shuddering shadow shook his head, grasping back at Ren. Even as claws dug into Ren’s back painfully, Ren refused to let go. “I _died_ , Amamiya. I didn’t want to keep living, to have to face them…”

“Them?”

The claws dug in deeper. “Futaba-chan. Okumura-chan. _Everyone_.”

Ren sighed, removing Goro’s heavy mask and running his hands through the shadow’s hair. “Maybe they won’t ever forgive you. Maybe they will. But they deserve to hear what happened from you. And even if they didn’t forgive you, that doesn’t mean you’re incapable of good. Redemption doesn’t come from forgiveness. So, forget about dying, Goro. You’ve got plenty to live for.”

“So, I didn’t lose my life…” With a trembling laugh, Goro lifted his head from Ren’s chest. The smile he gave Ren was jagged, but sincere. “Plenty to live for, huh?”

Ren nodded. “Choose to _live_ this time, Goro. For yourself.”

Goro shut his eyes, the smile on his face more serene this time. Small balls of light started to lift away from Goro, until a blinding light flashed. When their sight returned, the team was met with a set of escalators leading down to another floor.

Morgana skipped closer. “I see. We can keep moving down.”

“Will it take us down to the third floor?” Yuu asked, peering down at the stairs.

Morgana’s ears twitched. “No. This whole distortion is only on the fourth floor. We’ll still be on the same level.”

Ren looked down into the empty circle of his arms. His fists clenched. “Let’s go.”

* * *

The second Goro they found was sitting on one of the headstones that frequently adorned the depths of Mementos, legs casually crossed. His clothes were closer to the Detective Prince and Ren did his best not to stare at Goro’s long legs encased in his trademark black slacks. The brunet stared at them as they approached and, judging by the knowing smirk on his face, Ren was not successful.

“Amamiya-kun,” he greeted, flicking his eyes over the group. “And…others?”

“Which Goro are you?” Yuu replied.

The brunet’s eyebrows furrowed over shining, golden eyes. “Akechi Goro.”

Ren’s eyes narrowed, tongue tracing his teeth as he thought. “…What have you lost, Goro?”

The shadow smiled, but it was hollow. “I’ve lost the only friend I ever made on my own.”

Ren tilted his head. “You…but I’m right here?”

The look the golden-eyed Goro gave him was scathing. “You were never meant to be my friend, Amamiya.” He huffed in amusement. “Then again, maybe she wasn’t meant to be my friend, either.”

Yuu, Minato, and Morgana all turned to Ren, expectant. Ren pushed his irritation aside, considering he was the one who knew Goro best. His mind whirred frantically and, when he realized the answer, he nearly slapped himself.

“Sae-san.”

Goro nodded, wisps of darkness gathering around him. “I endangered her career; I endangered her sister’s life; I nearly endangered her heart. The moment he died…I lost her…”

“No, wait, Goro!” Ren yelled, but he was too late. Blasting winds forced them all back as Goro transformed again. This time, however, he didn’t resemble a shadow, the reaper, or even himself.

A balding, slightly hunched man with glasses in a suit stood in the spot Goro once stood. The smile on his face was oily, sending shivers down Ren’s spine.

“Who the hell is that?” Morgana cried.

“I have no idea,” Ren muttered, committing the face to memory. He would have to ask Goro later.

Like before, the shadow stood no chance against all of them. Ren utilized Raoul’s Phantom Show to put the shadow to sleep and allowed Minato and Yuu to knock the shadow off its feet. The miniscule amount of damage the shadow managed was consistently cured by Morgana. This time, however, Ren noted that the shadow lasted just a bit longer. Regardless, it wasn’t long before a final all-out attack defeated the shadow completely, and the old man façade peeled away to reveal Goro again.

“Goro?” Ren asked as he approached. “Who was that?”

Goro scoffed, sitting down on the floor and leaning against the tombstone. “The SIU director. Scum that worked with Shido and helped form the palace in Sae-san. He’s nothing but disgusting trash.” Gold eyes lowered and the shadow seemed to hunch in on himself. “And I helped.”

Ren put an arm around Goro’s shoulder, leaning his forehead against Goro’s temple. Other than a small noise, Goro didn’t object. “Why was he here?”

“I killed him when he outlived his usefulness.” Gold eyes locked onto Ren. “As soon as I killed him, I lost Sae-san for good. There’s no way she’d ever forgive me for it. I lost the only friend I ever made without ulterior motives.”

Ren shook his head. “You didn’t lose her, Goro. She’s still worried about you. She wants me to save you.”

Goro blinked rapidly and Ren could see the hard swallow the shadow took. “She…she still wants to see me?”

“I can’t speak for her, but I have a good feeling that the friendship you created with her is stronger than you think. Trust Sae-san to listen to you.” Ren smirked. “Besides, it’s like you said. That guy was scum. You probably did her a favor killing him.”

Goro turned his head so his forehead leaned against Ren’s. Unnaturally gold eyes stared into Ren’s silver ones searchingly. Eventually, Goro snickered. “You always manage to surprise me, Amamiya-kun.”

In a flash of light, the next set of stairs appeared, and Ren was left empty-handed again.

* * *

The next three Goro’s they found were similar, evidently transforming into people who were affected by Goro’s revenge. Okumura, Isshiki Wakaba, and Shido, each reflecting another aspect of Goro that the boy thought he lost—his potential friendship with the Phantom Thieves, his humanity, and his place to belong.

“How many more do we have to fight?” Mona moaned, huffing.

Ren stared at the poor cat, frowning. There hadn’t been a single safe room in the whole area, and they had no idea how to go backwards. Once they descended, the stairs disappeared. They were truly trapped in this maze of Goro’s demons, and the enemies were only getting progressively stronger. The last shadow, Shido, had been nearly as strong as the Shido Ren had fought back on the Ark. It made Ren worried for what they would face. If it came down to it, he was equipped with a Goho-M, but he didn’t want to risk leaving only to have to redo the entire floor again with the same enemies.

Eventually, they refreshed as much as they could and continued on. At the end of this path, they found another Goro, but this one was significantly different.

The boy—because he _was_ a boy, about the same height as Jose—sat against the grimy Mementos wall, clutching his knees and staring up at the opposite wall. Ren followed the boy’s gaze and found—

“The Sayuri?”

Goro startled, evidently noticing them just now, and scrabbled back away from them. “Who are you?! What do you want?”

Ren approached slowly. “Goro, it’ll be okay. We’re here to help.”

The boy’s shoulders relaxed as he stared at them. “You can’t help me.” He glanced at the painting. Ren turned to look at it as well and felt the force of sudden understanding like a physical blow.

“You like this painting,” he said.

“It looks like the mother loves her baby,” Goro agreed softly. “This mother wouldn’t leave her son alone.” Tears gathered at the corner of the boy’s eyes and Ren rushed forward, hugging the small child to himself. As he cried, arms extended out of the Sayuri, reaching towards Ren and Goro. Yuu, Minato, and Morgana quickly situated themselves in front of the other two, watching the figure of a small woman with long, chestnut hair emerge from the Sayuri.

Her face was sallow and gaunt, dark circles so deep it looked as though she had smudged make up there. Her figure was skeletal. Her hair was long and greasy. The dress she wore was made to entice, but so cheap and threadbare, it was obviously a dress that was held on to for far too long. Her eyes, though, were like garnets—they were bright, intelligent, but malicious.

Ren could see echoes of beauty in her form, but the version of his mother that Goro remembered must not have had much left to her.

She opened her mouth to speak, and Goro shuddered, covering his ears and whimpering. The tenuous grip Ren had on his sanity snapped Ren.

A vortex of energy engulfed him and Goro as his eyes bled into red. He lifted his gun, Satanael manifesting beside him, and they shot her between the brows simultaneously. More bullets and attacks followed almost immediately after from the others. With an awful shriek, she dissipated. Goro, still pressed against Ren, lurched forward with a cry.

“Mom!”

“That wasn’t the real one, was it, Goro?” Ren asked, the swirls of his rebellious spirit calming down. “She looked like she hated you. I want you to really think…did your mom hate you?”

Goro’s brows furrowed, cheeks wet with tears. Ren stared at the boy as he thought. Ever since they found out about the circumstances surrounding Wakaba’s death, Ren had been having his own suspicions about Goro’s mother.

“She…she made me pancakes when we could buy the stuff,” Goro eventually mumbled. Ren nodded, petting a hand through soft auburn hair. “She said life is hard, but we have each other. She said she missed my dad, but she had me.”

“When did she ever say she hated you?” Ren pressed.

“The…note…”

Ren grit his teeth. Morgana’s disgusted hiss echoed his feelings. It seems Shido wasn’t that creative.

“Goro, I think that note was a lie.”

Large, large tear-flooded eyes turned to Ren. Ren’s heart lurched at the heartbreak he could see in those crimson orbs. Slowly, Goro’s face contorted into one of such hateful anger, Ren thought Goro would attack him. But he held fast, because Goro would never turn away from Ren’s darker emotions, and Ren would do the same.

“Someone lied to me.” Ren nodded. “It was _him_ , wasn’t it?” Ren nodded again.

The small boy pushed away from Ren, wiping his eyes furiously. With a determined scowl, Goro waved his hand and the stairs appeared. The team relaxed gradually. With shared nods, they made their way to the stairs, but Ren lingered. “Goro?”

“I think…I think I always knew.” The boy’s fists were clenched and that hateful glare of his was directed to the floor. “Change my heart. Don’t let me forget this.”

Ren smiled and followed the rest.

They all heaved a collective sigh of relief as, finally, they reached the fifth floor. A long hallway greeted them, and the floor seemed to be separated into two areas encased in glass. On the left was clearly a modern, if empty apartment. A small kitchen, living room, and enclosed areas for what Ren assumed were the bedroom and bathroom. Next to the living room was an office, identical to the one Ren had seen himself sitting at so long ago.

On the other side was an identical apartment, but instead of enclosed partitions for a room, there were cell bars. And, in the flat bed, clad in prisoner attire that was eerily familiar to Ren, was Goro’s _real_ shadow.

Despite desperately wanting to reach out to him, they didn’t move, waiting to see how Goro would react. However, Goro didn’t seem to notice their presence. With a hum, Yuu pressed his hand against the glass.

“It’s a two-way mirror,” he said. “We can see him, but he can’t see us.”

“It’s probably best we don’t engage yet,” Morgana said. “We’re exhausted and we don’t know when other Ren will show up. I think I see a safe room at the end of the hallway. Let’s get to it, and then wait until tomorrow.”

* * *

“That was surprisingly exhausting,” Minato said, lounging on the couch. He gave a small smile of thanks as Sojiro brought him a plate of curry.

“This’ll perk you back up,” the man promised.

Ren sat on the floor, Morgana on his lap, as he ate his own plate silently. Sae sat beside him on the couch, legs crossed and staring at her curry as though it held the meaning of life.

“So…that’s what he thinks of me?” she muttered.

“He’ll probably kill me later,” Ren said, “But yeah.”

Sojiro sat beside her. “And his mother died the same way Wakaba did?”

“Not the exact same way,” Morgana replied, “Shido didn’t have access to the metaverse at the time. But the aftermath was the same.”

“Likely to keep Akechi in the system and keep him from ever realizing Shido was his father,” Sae said. “Killing Isshiki was traumatic enough that Futaba-chan didn’t think to research into Shido, either. I suppose he believed such a method worked with Akechi and employed the same one later on. He didn’t count on Akechi being so intelligent, I guess.”

Morgana’s tail twitched. “Isn’t it…weird? That both Akechi and Futaba are so intelligent? And both their mothers were killed in similar ways? And so personally, with the notes?”

Silence fell over the room, oppressive and thick. Unknowingly, Morgana had brought up another of Ren’s suspicions. Sae frowned, placing her plate on the low table between them. Yuu sighed while shaking his head.

“So, he wanted to be sure any potential children of his would have no way of tracing themselves back to him,” he whispered.

Sojiro scowled. “Wakaba never…she never gave me a name.”

Minato shook his head. “This is way too much.”

“He’s right,” Sae sighed. “At the end of the day, the only person who can give us some real answers would likely be Akechi. The heist is tomorrow, yes? You should get some rest.”

Ren nodded and said goodnight to them. With a smile, he carried Morgana to the room and, after some quick ablutions, Ren cuddled the cat close to him as he drifted to sleep. Tomorrow would be the most important heist of his life. He wouldn’t risk being unprepared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gonna try and finish this tonight because we have a deadline at work this month and i suddenly see tHe vEiL


	8. “I’m done being manipulated.”

_“I’m done being manipulated.”_

* * *

Ren swallowed, staring at Goro’s apartment door. With a deep breath, he knocked on the door and waited. After a few moments, the brunet opened the door and smiled at him pleasantly. The smile was lined with plastic.

Ren could hear his heart shatter, could feel his shoulders slump, but he knew that he had to keep going.

“I’m…just here to give you this,” Ren said, getting to the point. He lifted his right hand, which held the calling card. Goro glanced down at it, eyes narrowed.

“I’m sorry…do I know you?” he asked as he took the card.

“No,” Ren said through gritted teeth, “But you will.”

With that, Ren turned and walked away quickly. Goro stared after him until the black-haired teen was out of sight. Curious, the brunet looked back down at the card in his hand, reading the odd, ransom-note-esque card.

_Akechi Goro_

_You have become hollow. In your desire to forget your sins, you’ve forgotten yourself and you’ve forgotten the people that were always willing to forgive you. We will not allow your distorted heart to destroy you. We will steal your hollow heart!_

Goro squinted at the bit on the bottom, written in pen, unlike the rest of the note.

_And I promise, I will make your heart whole again. Believe in me, Goro. <3 Ren_

Goro sucked in a breath and clutched at his head. The world in front of him distorted briefly—suddenly, he wasn’t in his apartment. He was in a jail cell. He looked back up, towards the bars that encased him, and wished desperately that _he_ would come to let him out. As quickly as it came, the vision vanished, and Goro was left feeling bereft.

The world was normal again, but his vision was spotty and titled. He shook his head, pulling out his phone to call the school to report his absence.

* * *

“So, this is Goro’s palace,” Ann whispered as they entered the metaverse. All the Phantom Thieves, as well as Minato, Yuu, Rise, and Mitsuru, had come to accompany Ren to steal Goro’s treasure.

“It looks worse today,” Morgana commented—and he was right. The wall was nearly half collapsed and alarms blared loudly. Guards frantically ran around the grounds, but they were too far away to hear what the guards were yelling. The overbearing thrum of Goro’s awareness pulsed on their ears, which was good. It meant Goro had read the calling card.

Rise gaped as she looked around. “So, this is a palace? You were right, senpai. This is just like the Midnight Channel.”

“Dude, I seriously can’t believe we’re teaming up with freaking Risette!” Ryuji whispered—which was more of a shout.

Ann rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Skull. We’re focusing now.”

Yuu nodded, then looked at Ren. “This is your mission. Tell us what to do, and we’ll get it done.”

“Thank you,” Ren acknowledged with a smile. “We’re splitting into groups. We don’t know if the calling card also moved up Goro’s…surgery, so someone needs to patrol the bottom floor and make sure Goro’s shadow never goes near there. Mom, Vice-Leader, Mitsuru-san, and Mona will be the strike team for the first floor. Risette, you’re navigation.”

“Who the hell came up with Vice-Leader?” Futaba cackled. Yuu groaned loudly.

“Take Queen and Violet with you as backup. Oracle, Noir, Panther, Skull, and Fox are coming with me.”

Makoto shifted, wrapping an arm around herself. “I don’t mean to question you, but are you sure such a small team is okay? We can be split more evenly…”

Ren shook his head. “The first floor is massive and we don’t know how many shadows will be there. The only reason I’m not sending more of you and taking a skeleton team is because you’ve got two wildcards with you. But we don’t know what cognitive Ren is capable of and I feel better knowing you’re safer with larger numbers.”

“Understood.”

Ren turned to the rest of his team. “We’re going straight to the fifth floor. Skull, Panther, Noir stay with me, Fox protect Oracle. Got it?”

After everyone nodded, Ren breathed deeply; he felt Ren inch away as Joker took over. A large grin, sharp like a dagger, spread across his face as the mask fell into place.

“Then let’s steal his heart.”

* * *

“Kanzeon!” Rise called, doing a full sweep of the floor once they entered. With a grimace, she turned back to the rest of the team. “Lots of shadows. Sharing their locations now. Thankfully, I don’t feel anything similar to a persona.”

Yuu nodded. “Got it.” He turned to his fiancé. “Do you want to be leader for this mission, _Mom_?”

Minato chuckled. “No, thank you. It’s your call, _Vice Leader_.”

Yuu slapped a hand to his face. “ _Why_ did we tell him that story?” With another huff, Yuu scoped the layout. Although Ren had shown him how to hide like a real Phantom Thief, there were few actual places to hide in. And, like Ren had said, the floor seemed massive. “Rise, do you see any other ways to enter this floor?”

Rise hummed. “There are two sets of stairs. One at each corner in the back. Those are the only ways to come down to this floor from upstairs.”

“Understood. Let’s go to the hallway joining those exits.”

Swiftly dispatching any shadows they encountered, the team made their way to the hallway. From the middle of the hallway, Yuu figured it would be too difficult to stand there and wait; they’d be too far from either end to really intercept. Just as he was thinking about how to split the team up, a black mass sprouted in front of them like an oozing fountain.

And, in a few moments, a grinning Ren wearing a suit and a lab coat stood in front of them. Beside him, heavily chained and blank-eyed, Goro appeared on his knees. In Ren’s hand was a chained leash, attached to the link of the metal collar around Goro’s neck.

“Gocchan!” Minato called. The prisoner didn’t acknowledge them.

“That thing’s not Joker!” Rise called, Zankeon’s light protectively shining around her. “It must be the cognitive version!”

The cognitive Ren laughed, so empty and chilling that Yuu felt goosebumps form. “So, he thought he’d come prepared, did he? Isn’t it cheating to have so many wildcards in one palace?”

“Ren…if you’re a cognition of Goro-chan’s, then you have to know how Goro-chan feels about Ren. You know you’re only hurting him,” Yuu tried to reason.

Ren scowled. “Goro isn’t the only one who’s bound,” he whispered harshly. The smile returned quickly, though. “Not that it matters. Do it, Goro.” He yanked the chain in his hand, thrusting Goro forward. The brunet managed to not fall over, and he raised his head to lock eyes with the group.

“Come,” his lifeless voice uttered. “ _Loki_.”

Swirls of black and red vortexed around Goro, lifting him off the ground and blowing the team back a few feet. As he recovered, Yuu grit his teeth and looked up. Where Goro once knelt was now a black and white striped persona, whose odd eyes extended out like horns. His jagged, wide mouth was pulled down at the edges.

“ _Desperation_ ,” it said, in Goro’s voice.

Suddenly, Yuu’s world was engulfed in anguish and mindless rage.

“Senpai!” Rise cried. Dead eyes, usually silver but now a glossy red, immediately locked onto her. A deranged grin spread across Yuu’s face. Without warning, Yuu rushed at Rise, both hands gripping his sword above his head. Rise, frozen, stared as he ran towards her. The others cried out at him, pleading at Yuu to stop. With a gasp, Rise shut her eyes just as Yuu swung his sword down. The sound of metal screeching against metal made her open one eye cautiously.

In front of her, Minato stood tall, sword to sword with Yuu. The two faced off, sparks coming off their blades as they pushed against each other. Minato’s eyes narrowed as he held Yuu back, but Yuu was steadily pushing Minato into using both hands on his rapier. With another forceful shove, Minato pushed Yuu back and immediately followed with a riposte, but Yuu was quick to dodge.

“Yuu…I need you to come back to me,” Minato said slowly as they circled each other. Yuu didn’t reply, beyond holding out his hand and allowing a tarot card to appear.

Cognitive Ren laughed cruelly. “Have fun, you two. See if your love holds up to this.” With another burst of dark swirls, Ren and Loki disappeared, leaving the team with a berserker Yuu. Queen ran forward, but Minato held up a hand.

“Just explain,” he ordered as he watched Yuu.

“Desperation is a move that significantly lowers the defense of the target, but greatly increases their attack. They go psychotic. We…we don’t know how to make it stop. Things like Amrita Shower don’t work.”

Minato gripped his sword. “Then maybe we can knock some sense into him.” Minato closed his eyes briefly. “Mitsuru, Mona, Violet with me. Queen, heal him whenever his health gets too low. We want to hit him hard enough to try and break the rage, not kill him. Rise, stay behind Queen.”

The others moved quickly as Yuu watched quietly. Once the line formed, though, his grin grew larger and he crushed the card in his hand, calling out— “ _Magatsu Izanagi_.”

Mitsuru gasped. “He didn’t have that persona!”

Minato closed his eyes with a pained grimace. “Three people with potential received Izanagi. Magatsu Izanagi is the one that represents emptiness, where Yuu’s represents hope and purity. As long as Yuu is not himself…”

“His persona will reflect that,” Mitsuru surmised. “Right then, leader. Command us.”

“Stun him. Put him to sleep. Paralyze him. Don’t… _don’t_ hurt him.”

Which was easier said than done. Yuu was suddenly resistant to all forms of status-affecting spells and items, and he dodged their weak attacks with ease. Unfortunately, he wasn’t holding back against them, using Ziodyne and Magatsu Mandala. Morgana was already getting tired, having to use Salvation often to heal them and rid them of their ailments. Makoto, too, occasionally had to fend off Yuu’s attempts at Rise while healing the enraged wildcard.

Minato himself was already winded, having never fought someone as strong as Yuu. They’d never felt competitive, so there was never a reason to fight. It didn’t help that his attacks were stronger thanks to Loki. Minato clutched tightly at his sword as his eyes swept over his team. They were all breathing heavily, throwing items around to keep up their stamina, but they wouldn’t last long like this. Yuu didn’t care about any damage he took; he continued recklessly attacking.

At this rate, they’d die, Minato realized.

“We can’t take it easy on him,” he frowned. He blinked rapidly. He _knew_ that if they knocked Yuu out, Attis could use Samarecarm, but Minato had never seen Yuu falter or fall. He wasn’t sure he was ready to be the cause of it.

“Are you sure, Arisato?” Mitsuru asked, forgoing first names. Minato appreciated it. For the first time in years, he felt once more like the reluctant leader he used to be; but it grounded him, made him more confident in his decision.

“Go all out.”

Mitsuru didn’t hesitate to unleash Bufudyne on Yuu, pushing the silver-haired man back. Minato winced at the direct hit, but he quickly followed up with Megidola. Violet’s Brave Blade finally knocked him down, Yuu’s head lolling around in his confused state. Morgana’s quick scan confirmed that Yuu was nearly out.

“Arisato?” Mitsuru whispered, her hand faintly trembling as she held her rapier aloft.

Minato nodded, shutting his eyes. “Go for it. All Out Attack.”

With a roar, they all rushed forward, striking devastating blows upon Yuu. As they leapt away, Yuu collapsed, Magatsu Izanagi shattering into blue shards before the persona dissipated entirely. Minato rushed forward, Morgana at his heels. With a powerful blast of light, Morgana was quick to heal Yuu. Minato blinked, glancing over at the cat.

Morgana huffed. “I saw your attacks and I know you were freaking out inside. There’s no way you’d be able to cast Samarecarm properly. Better to leave it to the professional healer around here.”

Minato smiled, eyes soft. “Thank you, Morgana.”

Mitsuru approached, frowning at them. “What do we do if he wakes up and is still under that rage?”

Minato shook his head, sighing. “Someone needs to take Yuu out of the metaverse. It’s too dangerous to have him here, but if we leave him knocked out here long enough…”

“But…then we’ll be weaker. And what if he comes back and tries to do that Desperation thing to you, Minato-senpai?” Rise cried.

“Mitsuru,” Minato called, “Take Yuu out of here. You’re the strongest besides me. If he wakes up, you’re the most likely to survive. Get the others here as soon as possible, in case we need back up. At the very least, we need Fuuka here.” Minato looked up at her, blue eyes intense and moist.

Mitsuru hesitated, but she eventually nodded, and Artemesia manifested, gently cradling Yuu in her arms. “Be careful, Arisato, all of you. I’ll be back.” Mitsuru locked eyes with Minato again. “I promise, Arisato— _Minato_ —he will be safe with me.”

Minato clenched his fist, but he managed a small smile. “I know.”

With another brisk nod, Mitsuru jogged away, turning the corner, Artemesia floating behind her. Minato watched until the last silver strand of Yuu’s hair disappeared. They stood there until Rise announced that their presence had left her orbit of senses. Teeth grit, Minato turned towards the stairs.

“He’s not going to bring Gocchan here,” Minato realized. “He _wanted_ us to be separate.”

Morgana shifted, brows furrowed. “So, should we regroup with the others?”

Minato glanced away. “I…If we do, we run the risk of the warden using Desperation on me to distract Ren-chan. But, if we don’t, he could use it on Ren. His team doesn’t stand a chance against Ren-chan, especially since he took a small team with him.”

Makoto crossed her arms. “He’s stuck us in a Catch-22. We should have figured, what with Goro always being so clever.”

Morgana’s head whipped around, looking between the two of them. “Wait! That was _Loki_ just now!”

“So?” Minato raised a brow.

“Where’s Robin Hood?”

Minato’s face remained blank, but Makoto’s mouth dropped open. “Goro could only ever summon Robin Hood and Loki. Igor told us Goro never learned how to fuse new personas. And if we just saw Loki, that means Robin Hood is somewhere.”

“Could that mean that Akechi-kun has _two_ shadows he has to accept?” Rise asked.

“That means that there should have been two routes secured,” Morgana stroked his chin. “If we steal one Goro, it won’t matter. His heart will still be distorted.”

Minato sheathed his sword. “All right, then. We need to secure the second route. We’ll just have to hope back up arrives in time. Still, we can’t abandon this floor. With two potential Gocchan’s to watch out for, it’s imperative that someone stays here.”

“I don’t like this,” Makoto said plainly. “He must know what he’s doing to us—forcing us to split up even more. For all we know, as soon as we leave another person here, he’ll turn you psychotic and then we’ll stand no chance.”

Minato stared at Makoto, silent. Eventually, he turned to Rise. “How far can you sense in this palace?”

“Oh!” Rise jumped, then closed her eyes. “I can…sense up to the fourth floor. Actually…there’s something weird there…?”

Morgana’s ears twitched. “That was where we found all the different versions of Akechi. The last one never disappeared like the others. Is he still…there…”

As Morgana’s voice trailed off, Minato’s eyes widened at the same time as Morgana’s. “Robin Hood was Gocchan’s manifestation of his desire to be a hero for the abused…”

“No wonder he looks so gaudy and loud. He’s the manifestation of a child’s inner rebellion,” Morgana deduced.

“Well, it feels like he’s still on the fourth floor,” Rise said.

“If we can get to him, and get him to accept himself, that’s one less treasure to worry about,” Makoto said, “But then…who stays here?”

Minato glanced at all of them. “Rise, Violet, stay here. Stay hidden. Rise, when you sense a shadow Gocchan, warn us. We’ll run back. Violet, you’re incredibly lucky, and you’re naturally inclined to one of Gocchan’s weaknesses. Don’t attack, just stall.”

The two girls nodded.

“The rest of you, with me.” Minato turned towards the stairs. “And if we see Loki, run. Don’t engage.”

With a final goodbye, the group splintered even further. Rise and Sumire held hands, glancing at each other. The others were quick to climb the stairs, except Makoto. Makoto stopped at the foot of the stairs, waved once more at them, then rushed after Minato.

Left alone on the floor, Sumire and Rise were quick to find an empty room to continue their vigil.

* * *

The apartment that housed Goro was locked, and no amount of lock-picking was opening the door. Warily, the group entered the other apartment in search of a key that could work. Once they realized that the rooms were empty, they split up to search. Ren wasn’t particularly happy with the idea, but the sooner they found a way into Goro’s room, the sooner they could steal his shadow and get out.

Nevermind that Ren had no idea what to do _after_. Would they remove the shadow from the palace? Could they do that? The last time, Futaba had entered her own palace and accepted her shadow; Yuu and Rise both said that their group had to accept their shadows in order to gain personas; without Goro in his palace, could Goro accept his shadow? The more Ren thought about this plan, the more he realized how little planning actually went into it. Hopefully, stealing shadow Goro and removing him from the palace into the real world would merely turn the shadow into an object.

Which begged the question…what exactly could Goro turn into that would represent the origins of his distortions? Ren’s brows furrowed as he shuffled through the cabinets, turning the idea in his head over and over. Obviously, the distortion began _after_ they came back from Maruki’s world, from however Goro survived. What could Goro have desired so much that he needed to forget who he was and forget Ren entirely in order to achieve it?

Ren scowled as he leaned away from the desk, glaring around the office where he stood. The desk was messy and covered in thief tools; the wall across from the desk was lined with monitors, each showing different sections of the asylum…Ren assumed. For whatever reason, even when Ren messed with the computer, the cameras showed nothing but static. Ren wondered if a password was required, or if cognitive Ren could see what he wanted simply by virtue of being a part of the palace’s cognition. After all, it made sense that, even in a world where he had no control, Goro would hide every aspect of himself from others.

Ren’s eyes widened as the others filed into the room behind him, disappointed sighs echoing their lack of success.

“Sorry, Joker,” Ryuji kicked at the floor, hands in his pockets as his shoulders slumped.

“We couldn’t find anything,” Haru clarified.

“Don’t worry,” Ren replied, whirling around. “The answer was in front of us.”

Glancing at each other and shrugging, they followed after Ren’s billowing coat tails back to Goro’s room. Ren stared at the door again, noticing that the keyhole was fake. “There was never a physical key.”

Panther tilted her head. “So…how are we supposed to get in? Don’t tell me we have to change his cognition in the real world. We don’t have time!”

Ren shook his head. “No, Goro would never leave himself open like that. That’s too much of a weakness. Goro always has to hide, but he won’t ever let in anyone else’s masks fool him.” Ren removed his mask, staring up at the door.

“Let me in, Goro.”

A loud sound, like a lock twisting open, reverberated around them. Ren tried the door, but it was still locked. Ren turned around, silently egging the others on.

Ryuji was the first to react. “This is Sakamato Ryuji, and you better open the fucking door, Akechi,” he said, taking off his mask.

Another lock.

Ann, Haru, Futaba, and Yusuke glanced at each other and nodded. One by one, they removed their masks and, each time, the sound of locks clanging open followed. Finally, after Yusuke removed his kitsune mask, the door shined a blinding white. Once their vision returned, the group stood in front of an open threshold.

“How did you know?” Yusuke asked as they trailed through the doorway, taking strategic points to look around and declare the all clear.

Ren huffed. “I couldn’t see the cameras. It would be just like Goro to change his cognition so only those who are allowed can see what’s on the floors. I figured the door must have a cognitive lock.”

“I don’t understand why us taking off our masks was necessary,” Haru whispered. “He knows our identities anyway.”

Ren grimaced. “Goro is the only one allowed to wear a mask in his palace.”

The others looked back at Ren. Eventually, they moved on, finding that this apartment, identical to the other one except for the cell in the center, was also empty.

“He was here last time,” Ren muttered, opening the cell, hoping that Goro being gone was another trick of Goro’s cognition. “Where is he now?”

Suddenly, a force pushed Ren into the cell and the door swung shut. Despite recovering quickly and running up to the door, Ren grasped at unyielding bars. On the other side, cognitive Ren grinned wide, his smile more teeth than mirth. Behind him, kneeling on the ground in chains, was Goro’s shadow.

“Goro!” Ren called.

“Joker!” the others cried, just on the other side of cognitive Ren. With a growl, Ren tore off his mask.

And nothing happened.

Ren put his mask on, whipping it off again, only to feel the gaping hollow where his personas should be. “What did you do?”

The warden chuckled. “Are you an idiot? Why would I allow my patients access to the very thing that causes them harm?”

Ren clenched his teeth, gripping the bars in white-knuckled hands. “This cell prevents us from summoning personas.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” sly silver eyes turned towards the rest of the thieves, all of whom were standing at battle ready. “Isn’t that usually Ryuji? He’s the slow one, I thought.”

Ryuji bristled, but his chest expanded and deflated before he spoke. “Joker…your orders?”

Ren smirked at Ryuji, ridiculously proud of the blond. “Take him down. You’ve got this.”

Oracle whooped, immediately retreating into Al Azif as the others trapped cognitive Ren within a semi-circle. Ren grinned at them, but the grin slid off his face as he turned back to his double. The other dark-haired boy hadn’t bothered to turn to face his team, eyes now staring at Ren unblinkingly.

“You’re still two steps behind, Joker,” the warden whispered, tugging harshly on the chain. Ren’s eyes snapped to Goro, widening as Goro’s form bled into Loki’s. “Goro! No!”

“ _Desperation_.”

Waves of shadows and blood engulfed Haru, the girl letting out an ear-piercing scream as she gripped her hair. As the waves dissipated, she slumped forward, arms hanging slack, her hat falling off her head. When her head snapped back up, eyes the color of rubies glared at the remaining thieves. An unhinged grin spread across her sweet cheeks as the fluffy-haired girl gripped her axe.

“Shit, Noir!” Ryuji cried, lurching towards her, only to be pulled out of the way of her swinging axe by Yusuke.

“Don’t! She’s not herself!” Yusuke cautioned, arms wrapped around Ryuji carefully. Ryuji nodded, hand clutching at Yusuke’s arm.

“Right…right. We…”

“You have to knock her out,” Ren ordered. “Don’t go easy on her.” Ann, Ryuji, and Yusuke all glanced at Ren. From Al Azif, Ren could feel Futaba’s garnet eyes staring at him too. “I’m sorry. It’s the only way. We can revive her later.”

“He’s right,” Futuba’s voice resonated around them.

Ann grit her teeth, blue eyes shining moist as she glared at the warden Ren. “How could you?”

“Don’t think you’ll be off the hook after we get Noir back,” Ryuji growled. Yusuke nodded silently, one hand hovering over his sword. Haru merely hoisted her axe over her shoulder, distorted smile never faltering.

Cognitive Ren merely smirked at the real Ren, shrugging as his face made a moue of distress. “Isn’t it sad? That they can’t see where I’m going with this? That _you_ couldn’t see it?”

“No,” Ren whispered. “Don’t do it. Goro. _Please_.”

The warden grabbed at the bars between them, rushing forward to hiss in Ren’s face. “ _You_ don’t get to decide what he does anymore, _Joker_. _You_ are the reason this hell even exists, and _you_ will watch it fall apart around everyone you love.” Voice like gravel, his face twisted into an ugly rage, the warden ordered: “ _Goro_.”

The odd horns that functioned as eyes were drooping low, the entire figure of Loki hunched as small as possible, but still Goro’s voice said loud and clear, “ _Desperation_.”

Ren watched helplessly as the incantation engulfed Ann. Ren knew—he _knew_ —that they no longer stood a chance. With her One-Shot Kill and Life Wall skills, Haru could knock the others down while being virtually impenetrable; Ann’s high magic power and her Blazing Hell skill would _kill_ Yusuke and severely burn Ryuji. The warden— _Goro—_ had intentionally chosen his knights. But, now that Ren wasn’t distracted anymore by the chain squeezed around Loki’s neck, now that he was aware that _beating_ them wasn’t the end goal here, he knew that the plan didn’t—wouldn’t end there.

Goro was too smart for that—too smart not to realize that the greatest threat here was the one persona user incapable of attacking. Ren’s King.

 _Futaba_.

“Get out of here!” he yelled, fierce and loud. “Get out and find the others! Get to a safe room! Forget about us!”

“Ren!” Ryuji protested, forgoing their codenames. “We can’t just leave you!”

“He’s going to keep doing it until all of you are berserk! You need to regroup!”

Al Azif hovered, edging back and forth, Futaba’s voice ringing in the air. “But…we can’t…”

“What loyal fools,” the warden cooed, leaning against the cell door. “ _Goro_.”

“ _No!_ ”

Yusuke was next. Ryuji ran towards the blue-haired boy, but was quickly thrown back by a powerful Bufudyne. Thankfully not frozen, Ryuji kicked back up, looking at his grinning teammates with tearful brown eyes.

“Guys…”

“Ryuji,” Ren whispered. “Please get my little sister out of here.”

Ryuji stared back at Ren, but Ryuji’s shoulders straightened back, and he nodded. With a loud cry, Ryuji powered up with Fighting Spirit, following it up quickly with Agneyastra. As the others were distracted with dodging, Ryuji quickly spun on his heel, running towards the door. He held out his arms as Futaba released her persona and fell into his arms. Tearful eyes, just a shade removed from Goro’s, stared back at Ren from Ryuji’s shoulder.

Ren stared back and prayed they would be safe.

And then the other Ren started to laugh that _awful, empty_ laugh, and the door that had disappeared materialized again, imprisoning them all.

* * *

Navigating through the Mementos-like floor with Rise’s voice a faint crackle in their consciousnesses, Minato found himself becoming more frustrated the longer it took. He had hoped Mitsuru would be back quickly with Fuuka, who could function as their navigator, even if she and Mitsuru waited for them on the second floor. 

They were naïve fools to think that this team was enough. Whatever experience Yuu and Ren had with these palaces and the TV World, they underestimated the fact that Goro had just as much experience in a shadow-infested world as Yuu did. The brunet knew how to manipulate cognition to his advantage and was cleverer, more prepared, and more cunning than Naoto, Makoto, and Yuu combined. As much as some small part of Goro might want to be saved, more of the boy clearly believed he deserved whatever this palace was doing to him—otherwise, the cognitive version of Ren wouldn’t be fighting so fiercely to preserve it.

Minato stopped, unheeding as the others passed him before realizing he wasn’t following.

Was… _was_ warden Ren trying to preserve this palace? It was falling apart, clearly unstable, and on the verge of collapse. Even before this, Minato had noted that the palace got progressively more unsteady. Were they wrong before, when they thought cognitive Ren was fighting against the palace?

“Arisato-san?” Makoto ventured quietly.

“Why is Ren protecting a palace that’s falling apart?” he muttered.

Makoto blinked, drawing closer to the man. The others followed suit, simultaneously deciding to take a short break. “I…I don’t know.”

“Why _is_ the palace falling apart in the first place?”

Morgana hummed, crossing his arms. “I think…because tomorrow was the day that shadow Goro would be killed. The palace cannot exist without the shadow.”

“Why would Ren protect that?”

Morgana’s brows furrowed and his voice lowered. “He’s still a cognition of this place. He will do whatever the palace ruler truly believes they want, at the time. Oracle’s cognitive mother tried to kill Oracle, because she believed that her mother hated her.”

“So, what does Gocchan think Joker believes, that this cognition wants to kill Gocchan?”

Makoto brought a hand to her chin. “It is that he wants to kill Goro-kun? In the real world, Goro-kun was merely forgetting everything. As far as we know, this palace was in perfect shape _until_ Joker started infiltrating. _Then_ , the palace started to deteriorate.”

Morgana nodded. “Right. Ren said it was pristine and almost impenetrable the first time he came here. It began to fall apart when Akechi’s memories of Joker were threatening to emerge.”

“His _memories_ ,” Makoto gasped. “His memories!”

Minato raised a brow as the brunette started to pace rapidly. “Goro-kun was forgetting himself, Joker, and everything to do with Shido and the Phantom Thieves. It was only once Joker reminded him, forced his subconscious to confront Joker’s existence again, that Goro-kun’s palace started to fall apart. If cognitive Ren can’t keep the status quo, he has to destroy everything. But it wasn’t enough to destroy the palace and Goro-kun…

That’s why Joker got so far so easily. _That’s why_ the date was conveniently set for tomorrow. It was a bait. _All of it._ ”

“He _lured_ us,” Morgana said, hushed. “So we could _all_ die here?”

“Everything that reminds Goro-kun of his past life would fall in his palace,” Makoto breathed, face pale. “He lured all the Phantom Thieves here on their last heist.”

Minato shook his head. “No. That can’t be it.”

Makoto’s eyes were watery as she looked at Minato, patiently quiet. Morgana turned towards the blue-haired man as well.

“I know you have every reason to distrust Gocchan, to think the worst of him, from what Joker—what _Ren-chan_ —told me. But I don’t think this is a death knell. I think this is a cry for help. He knew Ren-chan alone wouldn’t be enough.

Cognitive Ren said Gocchan wasn’t the only one who was bound. He’s a cognition of this place but…what if he doesn’t want to be?”

Morgana put a paw to his hip as he glanced away. “It…It would mean that some part of Akechi knows that he needs help…is that why the warden is Ren?”

Makoto crossed her arms. “I…”

“Gocchan is deeply self-destructive,” Minato acknowledged. “To the point of hurting others. But he never learned how to ask for help. All he knew is that, possibly, he still had a place with the Phantom Thieves. So, maybe, if he got them all together…”

“And had us fight through his palace to help him face himself…” Makoto murmured.

“We could help him accept his shadow,” Morgana finished. With a jump, Morgana loudly cheered, “All right, then! We gotta help Akechi! What are we waiting for?”

Minato stared at Makoto. Finally, a small smile graced her face and she nodded. With an answering nod, Minato forged forward, their resolve renewed. Just as they reached the last turnstile, according to Morgana, Minato heard a familiar voice ring in his ear.

“ _Minato-kun! Are you all right? I’m sorry we took so long!”_ Fuuka’s soft, worried voice was a balm on Minato’s nerves.

“We’re good, Fuuka,” Minato replied. “Can you sense anything on this floor? Where are you?”

“ _We checked in with Rise-chan and Yoshizawa-chan first. We just got to the third floor now, but I can read all the floors above from here. Mitsuru-chan is with me. There are no shadows anywhere in the palace. I’m sensing something odd near you—similar to the shadow of Labrys-chan.”_

“Perfect,” Minato sighed. “And the fifth floor? Can you sense the others?”

A beat of silence. “ _Minato-kun, I think you need to hurry to the fifth floor once you find that shadow. I sense Ren-kun and his friends, but there’s something weird about one of them. They’re…tainted.”_

Minato’s, Morgana’s, and Makoto’s eyes all snapped towards each other, dread spreading like sludge through their chests. “ _Desperation_ ,” they whispered simultaneously.

“What…what should we do?” Morgana asked.

Minato’s eyes closed, hands clenching at his sides. “I don’t know…whatever we do, he can just make one of us go berserk and we’ll be our own worst enemies.”

_“Guys! I’m sensing something weird coming towards you!”_

“Is it a shadow?” Makoto asked, raising her fists.

“ _No! It’s…it’s a person! Oh! This must be who Rise-chan was talking about!”_

Minato’s blue eyes widened as a familiar silhouette rounded the corner. The others turned in the same direction, exclamations of surprise escaping them.

“I think we have a plan, now,” Minato said.

* * *

Ryuji panted heavily, hands clutching a shivering Futaba, as he kneeled on the ground. His eyes narrowed into a glare as he stared at Cognitive Ren’s smug grin. So far, the blond had managed to dodge all of Loki’s attempts to use Desperation on him through a combination of his own speed, luck, and Futaba’s navigation skills. Grimacing, Ryuji glanced down at a pale Futaba. Ryuji wasn’t necessarily the fastest or the luckiest, so it was honestly down to Futaba’s Final Guard. Ryuji took another look at Futaba and guessed that she wouldn’t be able to continue much longer. Whenever they managed to dodge, William would attempt to break down the door, to no avail.

Ren could only stare helplessly from the cage, tears teetering on the edges of his lashes, as he watched Ryuji and Futaba fight a losing battle. Ryuji stared back at his friend’s wide eyes and felt determination flare back up; he rose on shaky muscles, stumbling as he attempted to right himself while still carrying Futaba, and smiled at Ren.

Ryuji had already failed him once, in that false world. He wouldn’t do it again.

“Is that all you got?” he taunted the warden. Futaba’s head snapped up, eyes now focused on Ryuji. “I’ve gotten more exhausted racing my grandma!”

The cognitive Ren frowned and crossed his arms. “None of you know when to quit, do you? You still have hope that everything will turn out fine. Perhaps I’ve made this too easy on you.” He turned to the brainwashed thieves. “End them.”

Ren cried out, rushing against the cage bars, despite the futility. Ann, Yusuke, and Haru all blazed forward mindlessly. Ryuji managed to dodge Yusuke’s blade and parried Haru’s strong axe attack. As soon as he forced Haru back, Ann’s hand hovering over her mask was barely enough of a warning, but Ryuji had enough presence of mind to bodily toss Futaba towards the door. He winced as Futaba’s head snapped back at the impact against the door, but he was quickly engulfed in flames. Futaba and Ren watched on, wide-eyed and deathly silent, as Ryuji let out an ear-piercing scream, stuck in the middle of Ann’s Blazing Hell attack.

The lava and flames subsided. Ryuji, burned and shaking, managed to raise his head to glare at the cognitive Ren.

“That was…” he panted, “nothi—”

The blond didn’t finish. Just as Futaba started to stand, a small smile forming on her face, Ryuji suddenly fell to his knees and then pitched forward, knocked out.

Futaba shook her head, large tears cascading down her cheeks. “No…Ryuji! _Ryuji!_ ” The blond didn’t respond as Futaba herself collapsed, hiding her face behind her hands as she sobbed. Cognitive Ren clucked his tongue, shaking his head.

“That’s just a shame, isn’t it?” he said, voice sympathetic.

Ren’s eyes couldn’t leave the still smoking body of his best friend. “Why?” he whispered.

Quicksilver eyes snapped towards Ren. “Why? _Why_? After all this, you still have the audacity to ask _why_?” Cognitive Ren laughed, snapping his fingers and pointing at Futaba. Slowly, the other thieves closed in on the girl, weapons dragging on the floor beside them. “Now that you see he’s alive, you’re suddenly _so determined_ to live out your little domestic fantasy with a version of Goro that _isn’t real_. You wanted to forget Goro, the _real_ Goro; all of you did. And when he grants you that wish, you barrel into _my_ palace, disturb the heart of _my_ prince, and expect to walk out of here scot free? No, Amamiya Ren.” The warden stood directly in Ren’s line of sight, blocking him from seeing the other thieves. Over curly black hair, Ren could see Haru’s axe raised high. “You don’t get to come and go as you please. If you won’t let Goro forget you, forget every awful thing he’s done so he has a _chance_ at living a normal life, then let me show you the real Goro. The one that wanted to destroy _everything_ you love.”

A wide, toothy grin spread across his face as Futaba let out a shrill shriek. “ _Everything_.”

“ _REN!_ ”

The chains snapped.

Eyes the mirror of his own widened in surprise as Ren let out a guttural yell, blue flames searing around the thief-clad teen. Behind him, black leathery wings burst out, forcing the warden across the room and into Yusuke. Ren stepped over the charred remains of the cage bars, Satanael hovering at his left shoulder.

At the same moment, Futaba yelled again as the door suddenly disappeared, and arms encircled her, dragging her back just as Ann’s whip struck. Frantic, she glanced around until she looked behind her at blue, blue eyes.

 _“Minato?_ ” she breathed, spinning around in his lap and quickly wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

The blue-haired wild card smiled at her. “Sorry we’re late. We needed to get someone who could even the playing field.”

Futaba followed his gaze, eyes widening further at the brunet that stood beside the threshold, his hand still hovering in the doorway. Akechi Goro, clad in his princely suit, gave Futaba a curt nod before turning back to the others still in the room.

“So…” Goro said, voice as pleasant and unaffected as ever, “what’d I miss?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lowkey loved this chapter when i wrote it


	9. “Let’s go back…to our true reality.”

_“Let’s go back…to our true reality.”_

* * *

Goro sat at his dining table—though, small as it was, it hardly counted as one—eating a simple breakfast consisting of rice and curry. He couldn’t remember exactly why he favored curry so much, or why he was always dissatisfied with the taste, but it didn’t stop the brunet from eating it nearly every morning. As he read the paper, pushing the mild curry around his plate with his spoon, a firm knock made garnet eyes snap towards the door. Goro glanced at the clock, then back at the door. Figuring it may be one of his neighbors, the brunet opened the door and found a curly haired teen wearing the Gekkoukan High uniform on the other side.

Something about the other teen was vaguely familiar, with his blocky glasses and unruly hairstyle, but Goro couldn’t place it. At the very sight of him, Goro’s head began to throb with that now daily pain. Still, this student probably needed some help from Goro, as student council president, and Goro was resigned to his duties. A pleasant enough smile spread across his cheeks, even if Goro could hear the cracks of his porcelain face widen.

The dark-haired teen seemed to wilt, and Goro briefly wondered if he could tell how fake Goro’s expression was.

“I’m…just here to give you this,” he said, before Goro could speak. He lifted his right hand, which held a postcard-like paper. Goro glanced down at it, eyes narrowed.

“I’m sorry…do I know you?” he asked as he took the card.

“No,” the teen replied, and the harsh tone took Goro aback, “But you will.”

 _Well,_ Goro thought with a mental eyeroll, _that’s not ominous._

With that, the other student turned and walked away quickly. Goro stared after him until his curiosity drew him to card in his hand, reading the odd, ransom-note-esque card.

_Akechi Goro_

_You have become hollow. In your desire to forget your sins, you’ve forgotten yourself and you’ve forgotten the people that were always willing to forgive you. We will not allow your distorted heart to destroy you. We will steal your hollow heart!_

Goro squinted at the bit on the bottom, written in pen, unlike the rest of the note.

_And I promise, I will make your heart whole again. Believe in me, Goro. <3 Ren_

Goro sucked in a breath and clutched at his head. The world in front of him distorted briefly—suddenly, he wasn’t in his apartment. He was in a jail cell. He looked back up, towards the bars that encased him, and wished desperately that _he_ would come to let him out. As quickly as it came, the vision vanished, and Goro was left feeling bereft.

The world was normal again, but his vision was spotty and titled. He shook his head, pulling out his phone to call the school to report his absence—

—only to stare at the odd, red eye app that appeared on his home screen. Brows furrowed, he looked between the app and the card, noting their similar color schemes. With a huff, and sickness forgotten, Goro decided to follow the other student and see if he could get the boy to explain just _how_ he managed to hack Goro’s phone and place some weird app on it. Deciding that tapping it could likely trigger whatever code it was meant to run, Goro stashed his phone and the—calling?—card in his pocket and quickly stuffed on shoes to follow the other boy.

Thankfully, despite having been behind the other student by quite some time, it appeared the teen was merely heading straight to Gekkoukan. Oddly, instead of heading straight in, the black-haired teen veered towards the back, occasionally looking over his shoulder.

Thankfully, though Goro really couldn’t recall from where, Goro was adept at skulking around unseen, even by someone as seemingly paranoid as this teen.

 _Ren_ , _evidently_ , Goro reminded himself, though the name seemed to cause a lance to go straight through his brain.

Finally, Ren stopped some feet from the school, watching the other Gekkou students rush in to catch the late bell, joined slowly by an odd group of students. Many of them wore street clothes instead of uniforms, though they were clearly around the same age as Ren. Goro gaped as a limousine pulled nearby and deposited _the_ Kirijo Mitsuru. Though the majority of the people looked familiarly unfamiliar to Goro, he could also pick out Arisato Minato, an alumnus of Gekkoukan High himself, and Kujikawa Rise, the idol otherwise known as Risette.

Goro desperately tried to piece together why they’d all meet, particularly here at Gekkoukan when he _knew_ there were no special appearances scheduled. As it seemed no one else was arriving, Goro decided simply walking up to them to ask would be best. He stepped out of his hiding spot as Ren brought his phone forward.

“Akechi Goro, Gekkoukan High, Asylum,” the curly-haired teen stated calmly, as though any of those words belonged together. Frustrated now, Goro sped up, but was forced to stop when Ren and his cohorts began to fade away into nothingness as they all stepped forward. Goro shook his head and scrubbed viciously at his eyes with his sleeve, but still, Kujikawa—the last one to walk into the air— _the air???_ Goro thought frantically—disappeared just the same as the others.

He ran over to where they had been, arms held out as he tried to see if maybe they’d turned invisible. After a few seconds of that, and feeling thoroughly foolish, Goro decided to re-evaluate his clues.

Weird boy— _Ren_ —gave him a card that clearly mirrored a calling card of sorts, especially with it stating some nonsense about ‘stealing his heart’.

Ren evidently had ties to Arisato Minato—a boy who mysteriously died and came back, through the supposed powers of the Kirijo Group.

Ren knew Risette, who took a break in Inaba a few years ago, where Goro had heard a series of murders occurred and were solved when the culprit— _Ada something?­_ —revealed an extremely odd, untraceable, almost supernatural method of murder. Those details were never released.

Ren _also_ knew freaking Kirijo Mitsuru herself, the fucking president and owner of the Kirijo Group, after her father was murdered.

 _Why was Ren around so many murders?_ Goro briefly wondered, shaking his head.

Kirijo’s father was also murdered under suspicious circumstances. She was known to have been especially close to Arisato Minato, evidently having a large part in literally bringing the man back to life— _because the guy had an actual death certificate,_ Goro mused—and it was rumored that she ran a secret operation that had been inspired by whatever experiences she had with Arisato. There were also the odd experimentations that supposedly happened on Tatsumi Port Island, which Kirijo herself revealed when she took over.

 _Not even surströmming smells this fishy_ , Goro scowled, a hand rubbing at his chin.

Frustrated, Goro pulled out the calling card, flipping it over to see if there was anything else he could discern from it.

_We will steal your hollow heart!_

Goro’s eyes widened. They _had_ said his name, hadn’t they? Was that whole group of people going to steal from _him_? Why? And why specifically his heart?

Questions rolled around Goro’s head, and the pain of repeatedly thinking Ren’s name didn’t help clear anything up. Deciding that googling the curly-haired infiltrator may help, Goro pulled out his phone, only to be faced with the red eye app again. Goro stared at it, brows furrowed. Mouth in a taut line, he tapped it.

 _Please enter the keywords_ , a pleasant, robotic voice asked.

“Akechi Goro. Gekkoukan High,” Goro took a deep breath. “Asylum.”

Just as before, the world seemed to distort and twist on itself. Oddly, the world twisted around a single point, so Goro walked forward. Soon, he was pulled into a completely different world, facing the most dilapidated building he’d ever seen. As he ogled at the decay, he noticed two figures running towards him, one significantly larger than any human could be.

Before he could find a hiding spot, he realized he recognized the long red hair of the smaller figure.

“Kirijo-san?” he called.

Kirijo seemed surprised, but didn’t miss a beat in acknowledging him. “You are…Akechi Goro?”

Goro glanced at the large, translucent woman beside Kirijo, who seemed to be cradling a silver-haired man that seemed familiar.

Goro was tired of things and people that seemed _familiar_.

“Yes,” his eyes narrowed. “I received an odd card stating that my heart was to be stolen. I followed the student who gave it to me here. Kirijo-san, why are you assisting in this?”

A groan from the silver-haired man startled both of them, and Kirijo huffed. “Akechi, I am currently unable to answer your questions in full depth. This man needs medical attention outside of this world.” She glanced away, the fingers of her right hand against her lips, her left hand wrapping around her left elbow as she hummed.

“In all previous events where a persona user had to accept their shadow, the persona user themselves had been present. It may be beneficial to have him here after all. As this is his palace, he will likely have minimal issue navigating, and I do recall Amamiya mentioning that Crow evidently had some navigational abilities,” she muttered under her breath.

“Excuse me,” Goro interrupted. “Can you talk about me _to_ me?”

Kirijo smirked. “Remind me to contact you about joining the Shadow Operatives when this is over,” she said.

 _Like that makes sense_ , Goro snarked in his head.

“Go into the asylum, Akechi,” she continued, smirk wiped from her face. “You may not realize it, but you are in danger of losing yourself. This asylum is a manifestation of your heart—and no, I do not have the time to prove it to you. On the basement floor, you will find Kujikawa and Yoshizawa. They will direct you from there.” She placed both hands on Goro’s shoulders, and stepped close, forcing Goro to look up into her ruby eyes. “Someone you care about deeply is fighting to protect your heart and your mind. You can save them if you accept yourself. I wish I could explain more, but we both need to get moving. Now go.”

With that, Goro felt her red curls brush across his face as she turned away, rushing away as she dissipated out of his eyesight. Goro stared after her, but ultimately turned back to the asylum.

As Kirijo had hinted, Goro had an innate ability to sense the layout of the asylum and he even sensed the presence of two people hidden in a room. With a frown, he opened the door, only to jump back as a sword was shoved in his face, point first.

“Akechi-senpai?” the high voice of his assaulter questioned.

“Are either one of you Kujikawa-san?” he said instead. “Kirijo-san directed me here. She said you would have further instructions for me? What the hell is going on?”

The two girls—though, it could be argued that by now, at 20, Kujikawa was more a woman—glanced at each other briefly, whispering between each other. Goro heard bits of it, some of it similar to the same musings Kirijo had had, until they finally turned back to him.

“I think you’ll be okay. It’s your palace, so I doubt anything will attack you,” Kujikawa said, her signature hairstyle and distinctive voice giving her away. “Right now, your heart is distorted.”

Goro blinked rapidly, slowly pushing his bangs behind his ear. A dull pain began throbbing behind his eyes.

_You’re forgetting me because you…you hated me before. I’m just guessing, but I think your heart is distorted._

“In order to help you, we have to steal your heart.”

_I won’t go messing around with your heart—and I’m not being metaphorical here—unless you understand that, when I do fix the distortion, you’ll remember everything._

“Ren and the others went ahead to steal it after they secured a route, but we’ve had some complications. The treasure in your heart that we’re trying to steal—the _real_ you, that you’ve rejected—has a power to make one of us crazy. We had to split up.”

_I wish my heart weren’t distorted, so you could spend all your time with me._

“We’re worried about them, because they’re basically on the edge of what I can sense. Normally, I don’t have this problem, but something about this palace limits my powers.” Rise sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t think we’ve ever been so cornered before.”

_Ren, this has to stop. Promise me you won’t go back in the palace._

“We—we’re worried about Ren-senpai,” the red haired, black-masked girl suddenly said. “One of our stronger members was turned berserk, and Kirijo-san had to carry him out. What if that happens to senpai?”

_The last time I promised you something, I lost you. Never again._

“Not now, Sumire-chan,” Kujikawa chastised.

Goro grit his teeth, fingers now clenching the strands of his hair tightly. “What do I have to do, to save Ren?”

Kujikawa smiled brightly at him. “Accept your shadow. Go through the palace and when you find another version of yourself, understand it and accept it wholly.”

The brunet nodded. “Thank you. I believe I’ve got some navigational sense, but…”

“Don’t worry. Now that I can sense you, I can communicate with you. I’ll guide you.”

* * *

“What…what should we do?” a high, boyish voice asked.

After a few moments, a deeper voice responded. “I don’t know…whatever we do, he can just make one of us go berserk and we’ll be our own worst enemies.”

Goro could no longer hear Kujikawa’s voice, but he figured these were probably the people he was meant to find. He quickened his steps.

“Is it a shadow?” a female voice asked, unprompted, forceful and familiar. Goro never heard a response though. Finally, he rounded the corner, staring at the motley crew assembled there.

The one with shockingly bright blue eyes was the first one to see him. The others turned in the same direction, exclamations of surprise escaping them.

“I think we have a plan, now,” the blue haired one—clearly, Arisato—said.

“Kujikawa-san sent me here,” Goro said by way of explanation. “Where’s this shadow I’ve got to accept?”

“Fuuka,” Arisato ordered, “Link us all up.”

 _“Can do!_ ” a new voice suddenly said, and Goro jumped. With a scowl, he barely kept himself from glancing around for the source. He narrowed his eyes at the girl with short brown hair, who smirked at his reaction.

“If you’ve met Rise, then you should be familiar with her powers,” Arisato explained. “We evidently needed two navigators. The one you’re hearing now is Fuuka. I’m Arisato Minato. Do you remember me, Gocchan?”

Goro bristled, a high flush covering his cheeks. “I do _not_ remember you, Arisato- _san_ , so kindly don’t address me so familiarly.”

Arisato shook his head. “All right, then. It’s not important. Rise must have explained the basics to you. It’s good that you’re here. We have to find two shadows, both of which you have to accept.”

Goro tilted his head as he approached them. “ _Two_? Kujikawa-san implied I only had one shadow, that could make others go…berserk.”

Arisato shook his head. “You have two, Gocchan. We’re here on this floor now because we need to find the other one. Once we do, you have to accept him quickly, because we think the others are in danger on the next floor.”

Goro grimaced and, with a nod, they all took off at a brisk jog. No one dared to break the tense silence as they navigated the odd, tombstone-filled labyrinth. Goro didn’t mind; first of all, he wasn’t exactly sure he liked what he saw, if this place represented his heart. Second of all, since he’d entered his palace, the migraines affected him less and he realized he could remember more—particularly about Amamiya Ren.

What could drive the other teen to this, Goro wondered. If he remembered correctly, this place had a terrible effect on anyone who entered. Did they lose each other before? Had Goro abandoned Ren? And why were all these other people here, working together and endangering themselves to save _Goro_? Would he remember it all when he regained his shadow? Questions turned in his head over and over, but Goro was resolved to figure the mystery out on his own. Besides, if his admittedly spotty memory was correct, he was bound to find the answers as soon as he remembered everything.

Thankfully, they managed to run down the right corridor. At the end of the winding path, Goro could see another set of escalators heading up. Sitting on the turnstiles in front of them, though, was a younger version of himself. They slowed to a stop and the others stepped aside, allowing Goro to stop directly in front of himself.

This version of him had bright yellow eyes.

“So,” he huffed, “how do I accept you?”

The young Goro stared back unflinchingly.

“I was scared that I was the one who killed mom.” Goro’s eyes widened, but the boy continued. “But then _he_ came. He killed the mom I thought was real. But…that note wasn’t real. _That_ mom wasn’t real. The adults _lied_ to us. _That man_ lied to us.”

Goro took deep, controlled breaths. He turned his gaze away, eyes landing on a beautiful painting of a mother holding her child in a loving embrace. _Sayuri_ came to his mind, unbidden. The eyes, which Goro had once thought were mysterious, were now obvious to him: they were the mirror of love and devotion, of sacrifice and selfishness. They were the eyes of a mother and they were the exact same eyes _his_ mother had.

 _She always loved me._ Goro realized, tears running down his cheeks.

The younger Goro smiled. “It’s time we seek real justice…by _his_ side. Can you accept that?”

Mouth firm, Goro turned back to his younger self—the one that idolized heroes like Featherman Red and Black; the one that believed someone should be there to save everyone; the one who _knew_ his mother _loved_ him. Goro _knew_ love. He knew he could also give it, now.

“I am you,” Goro said, the words instinctual, “and you are me.”

With a nod, the other Goro began to dissipate into balls of light and the image of a broad-shouldered archer, clad in princely white, appeared before Goro.

“I am thou. Thou art I. Never lose sight of your justice again, and my bow will never waver,” the figure— _Robin Hood—_ said before disappearing. Goro lurched forward suddenly, shocking the others into crowding him. He couldn’t reply to their questions, though, as he clutched his chest. He felt a sharp pain, but also felt relief, as though some part of him was being carefully sewn back together. As the light faded, he looked up into brilliant blue eyes.

“Minato-san?” he asked, voice cracking. Swiftly, Minato produced a coffee tumbler and Goro gratefully drank—

“Oh, thank god,” he moaned. “It’s from LeBlanc.”

Nijima edged closer. “Akechi-kun? Do you…?”

“Remember?” Goro finished for her. Reinvigorated, he grinned at her. Blue flames came alive around him as his will to rebel manifested in the form of his princely suit, Robin Hood’s voice a gentle thrum in his head. “Somewhat, yes, but I feel as though a large piece of the puzzle still eludes me. You said I had two shadows, Nijima-chan?” She nodded, a shaky smile spreading on her cheeks. “Then let’s go, quickly.”

 _“Guys!”_ Fuuka chimed in. “ _I’m glad you found the shadow, but you need to hurry! I’m sensing that three people on Amamiya-kun’s team have been tainted!_ ”

Morgana scowled. “We need to hurry. Let’s go.”

* * *

From the top of the stairs, Goro could see chaos in the room. Three others—the Phantom Thieves—were facing off with Sakamoto, who was standing between them and Futaba. Okumura, Takamaki, and Kitagawa were all swamped in odd, slithering tendrils of darkness. Something about that darkness felt both disturbing and comforting to Goro, but he didn’t pay it much mind, because the middle of the room held something more disturbing.

Two Amamiya Rens: one clad in what Goro remembered as his Joker outfit, and the other dressed as an overly paid doctor. Joker was locked in a cage, struggling futilely against the bars as the warden Ren seemed to be taunting him. Goro kicked off the ground harder, pushing himself to reach the door once Sakamoto fell and the others encroached on a cowering Futaba.

“How do we open that door?” Nijima yelled as they ran.

“Akechi, this is your palace!” Morgana cried, running on all four paws, “Change your own cognition!”

Goro glanced to his right, where Minato was keeping pace with him. Sharing a nod, they slid to a stop in front of the door. Beyond the threshold, Goro could see Okumura raising her axe, Kitagawa drawing his sword, and Takamaki preparing her whip. He placed his hand against the door, concentrating hard, but nothing happened.

“Akechi?!” Morgana pressed, hopping from foot to foot. “ _Akechi!”_

“Goddamnit,” he muttered, eyes glancing back up. He could see the faintest hint of silver eyes, staring, stricken, in Futaba’s direction.

_You’re remembering, aren’t you?_

_That I love you. I love you so, so much._

_“REN!”_ Futaba’s voice, muffled through the door, was watery and desperate.

 _And I’m not going to fail you this time,_ Goro thought, teeth clenched. _Fight whatever this is, Ren. I’m going to fight with you_.

This time, the door glowed under Goro’s hand. As it disappeared, Minato was quick to loop his arms around Futaba’s waist, dragging the girl to him just as Takamaki’s whip struck. At the same moment, Ren broke free of his cage, a large, gun-wielding persona hovering behind the enraged teen. The force of the persona’s emergence forced the warden back, making him collide with Kitagawa. Okumura hauled her axe back, seemingly waiting for orders.

 _“Minato?_ ” Futaba breathed, spinning around in his lap and quickly wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

“Sorry we’re late. We needed to get someone who could even the playing field,” Minato replied, looking towards Goro.

Futaba followed his gaze, eyes wide. Goro gave Futaba a curt nod before turning back to the others still in the room.

“So…what’d I miss?” he said, voice calm, though he could feel his heart beating madly.

“ _Goro?_ ” Futaba screeched. “And you’re…you’re in your Robin Hood outfit. Do you have your persona?”

“I’d say now is not the time,” Goro replied. “What’s going on, Futaba-chan?”

Futaba nodded and her goggles reappeared on her face. “That other Ren is the warden of this asylum. He’s the one controlling Loki, the one driving the others psychotic with Desperation. Until you came, Ren was in that cage that inhibited personas from being summoned.”

Goro nodded, locking eyes with the real Ren. The rage on the black-haired teen’s face slowly softened. “Goro?” he asked, voice soft.

“Ren,” Goro confirmed.

“Do you remember me?”

Goro shrugged. “Mostly. How about we finish this so I can remember everything?”

Ren hesitated. “Is that what you want?”

Goro glared. “…I will carve my own path for myself. I refuse to accept a reality concocted by someone else, even if that someone is me.” Goro paused, eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure why, but I feel a sense of déjà vu here.”

Ren laughed, bitterly. “You would remember that, wouldn’t you?”

Suddenly, a laugh from the corner of the room drew their attention away from each other. Warden Ren pushed himself to his feet, still cackling, as the psychotic thieves slowly stepped back. With a wave of his hand, the room began to rumble as the walls fell. Acting quickly, the group dodged falling debris; Ren dashed forward and picked up Sakamoto, lugging him out of the way. As the dust cleared, they found themselves in a large, open room, standing together in an uneven group facing against the still psychotic thieves and the warden and Loki.

Ren handed Sakamoto over to Nijima and moved to stand beside Goro. “I guess this isn’t quite finished.”

“Not until I accept that shadow version of myself over there,” Goro affirmed. He glared up at the defeated visage of the persona. Something about it was achingly familiar and Goro was drawn to it, but there was also something that repelled Goro.

Somehow, Goro knew if he accepted this shadow, it meant accepting the worst of himself. And, for some reason, Goro felt that the things he’d be accepting were not so easily forgiven.

“You think I’ll let it happen that easily?” the warden yelled, lips still pulled back in a mirthless smile. “ _This_ is what you wanted, Goro! You wanted to forget _everything_! How else were you going to move on if you remembered the eyes of every person you killed, huh?!”

Goro’s eyes widened. “ _What_?”

Ren dashed in front of Goro, grabbing his shoulders, and blocking him from seeing the cognitive double. “Don’t listen to that, Goro.”

“You think he’ll forgive you?” the warden continued, voice suddenly quiet. “You think any of them will? The best thing that ever happened to you is that the whole world forgot who you were.”

“I _never_ wanted to forget you, Goro,” Ren assured, shaking the glassy-eyed brunet.

“ _No!”_ Rise’s voice suddenly called. “ _This is how it starts! You have to get Akechi-kun to accept his shadow, now!”_

“Goro, listen to me!” Ren begged. “None of that is true! No matter what you did, you are so much better than the worst thing you’ve ever done! You’ve redeemed yourself over and over! I believe that!”

Goro stared at Ren. “…You were the one who said it may be better if I don’t remember.”

Gunmetal eyes widened and Ren was struck silent. Goro shrugged off Ren’s hands, stepping back from him. “You _didn’t_ want me to remember.”

“No, Goro, wait—”

“You only came into my palace when I started to forget you.”

“I can explain everything, please.”

“You expect me to believe you’ll forgive me— _love ­me_ —even if I recover that part of me that’s evidently a fucking _murderer_? That _all_ of you will?” Goro seethed. His heart twinged at the absolutely devasted look on Ren’s face, but he couldn’t stop himself. Fear, sadness, and desperate want battled in his head, confusing him.

“Let me show you who you _really_ are, Goro,” the warden cooed, deranged silver eyes locking onto a heartbroken Ren. “ _Loki_.”

“Wait, no!” Goro called, reaching out towards Ren. Ren didn’t move, empty eyes still staring at Goro. He didn’t move until Loki’s attack struck, and black flames engulfed the dark-haired teen. Goro was pushed back by the force, gritting his teeth as Ren’s ragged yell filled the cavernous room. Minato managed to catch the brunet, and both of them stared at the heaving form.

“Oh, Joker,” the warden called, smug, “Why don’t you show Goro just how much you want to forget him?”

Ren’s head snapped up, eyes staring through Goro. A deep, dreadful, hollow laugh started rumbling through his chest, until Ren was laughing loud and long. Finally, he breathed and reached a hand up to his mask. “Satanael.”

The god-killing persona emerged again, and waves of malevolence pulsed out towards the others. Swiftly, Ren raised his gun and Satanael mirrored it. Frozen, they all watched as both wild card and persona pulled the trigger, aimed directly at Goro. Minato did his best to move in front of him, hugging the brunet to himself and closing his eyes.

“ _Izanagi no Okami!_ ”

Pressed as he was against Minato’s chest, Goro could only see a flash of light. But, when he pulled away and looked up, Minato’s blue eyes mirrored his confusion. They looked behind Minato, where a flickering Izanagi no Okami stood, hunched over and leaning on his weapon. Directly behind him, similarly using his sword to support himself, stood Narukami Yuu.

“Yuu?” Minato whispered.

The silver-haired man grinned at them over his shoulder. Just as it seemed he was going to collapse, a white light engulfed both Yuu and Izanagi no Okami, and both were immediately rejuvenated.

“Gotta love that enduring soul,” he said calmly, turning to help the two stand. Soon, the others gathered around them, with the addition of Kirijo. “Unfortunately, that’s the only time that’ll work. What’s the plan?”

Goro looked around at all of them. “Why are you all here? I understand you want to help Ren, but you could easily just take your friends and run. Why would you all go so out of your way to help me? I don’t…I don’t deserve this.”

Futaba, goggles on her head, glared at him. “You idiot. We meant it when we said we could all work together. You’re just like us.”

It seemed Morgana had finished healing Sakamoto, as he was back on his feet, thumping Goro on his back. “Yeah, dumb ass! Like, of course we want Renren to be happy, but we care about your stupid ass, too.”

“Gocchan,” Minato interjected gently. “Yuu and I will always be here to support you. Whatever you’ve done in the past, we don’t care, because we love the person you are now. Let us know the real you, so we can love him, too.”

Goro stared at them, the warm smiles and determined nods surrounding him filled him with a sense of belonging he’d only felt once before. In Minato’s and Yuu’s eyes, he saw the reflection of the Sayuri. Across from him, a scowling warden clutched at the chains that held Loki—his other self.

“You think you can believe them?” he snarled. “They’ll betray you, just like Shido. Just like your mother.”

Goro’s resolve hardened as he gripped Minato’s hand. “My mother loved me. And I never needed Shido. Ren was right: I _am_ better than my worst mistake. But I have to accept those mistakes.” He looked up at the dejected shadow. “And I have to accept the person who made them.”

The warden grit his teeth, pulling the chain back, but Goro spoke quickly: “I am you, Loki…and you are me!”

A shockwave of energy lashed out, and everyone threw up their arms to shield their eyes from the gust and light. Just as before, Goro grasped at his chest, the feeling of his soul being slowly tethered together being both a searing pain and a soothing balm. Memories rushed behind his eyes.

The moment Loki first manifested, after he nearly died in the other world—

Resolving that the only justice in life was making sure _he_ didn’t win—

Meeting Ren for the first time, immediately knowing that the boy was special—

The first time they played chess—

Killing Okumura—

Smiling grimly at Ren as he shot the emergency button, releasing the hull door—

A blue room with cell doors—

Eyes locked on Ren after he awakened outside Shibuya on Christmas Eve—

A blur of memories and deductions when the world was distorted again—

Being escorted to the train station, to go to Iwatodai—

Their first kiss—

Goro gasped a deep breath as memory after memory assaulted his mind. Vaguely, he felt Minato holding him up as he gripped his head. Finally, he opened his eyes, moist with tears, and he looked up at the seething warden.

“Fuck it,” the warden hissed. He snapped his fingers and the controlled phantom thieves, Joker included, rushed forward with their weapons raised. The others braced to defend, but Goro was unconcerned.

Even as his head ached, a wide, feral grin stretched across his face. His princely garb bled into ragged streaks of navy and black. The red mask he associated with heroes morphed into the black helm he didn’t realize he’d missed. Loud, maniacal laughter burst from Goro, startling most everyone around him, and he stepped forward fearlessly.

“Manifest,” he whispered, “ _Loki!”_

Spinning into being, Loki emerged among blazing red flames, crimson sword held high. The once drooping eyes were animated again, and the manic energy Loki always contained was in full force. Goro laughed again, staring straight into the enraged eyes of the manipulated Ren. “Riot Gun!”

Loki spread his arms wide and a torrent of bullets fell from the sky, striking Okumura and Kitagawa; Takamaki and Ren managed to dodge, skirting out of the hail in the nick of time. Undeterred, Goro looked over his shoulder at the others, who were still frozen at the display.

“ _Well_?” he urged. “When they’re like this, they won’t revert back until they’re knocked out. You wanted orders? _Take them all down_.”

The group looked towards Minato, hesitant. Minato’s own gaze, however, never wavered from Goro’s, and the wild card smiled. “You heard your leader,” he said, drawing his sword and evoker.

Seemingly snapped back in action, the others drew their weapons and fanned out. Fuuka, Rise, and Futaba retreated into the safety of their personas, prepared to assist. Goro’s grin widened, and he turned back to warden.

“Looks like we’re closing your asylum. Make it easier on yourself, won’t you?”

Warden Ren smirked back, though it looked more like a grimace. “You already know I can’t allow that. We’re going to die here together, Goro.”

Goro huffed. “Die by yourself. The only one who dictates what I do is _me_.” He turned back to the group. “Kirijo, Minato, handle Takamaki. She’s weak to ice but incredibly fast. Slow her down, then freeze her. Nijima, Yoshizawa, take down Okumura. Nijima, you’re each other’s weaknesses, so rely on Yoshizawa’s luck to knock her down first. Yuu, Sakamoto, take care of Kitagawa. Yuu, deflect his ice attacks and hit him hard with fire. Sakamoto, follow Yuu’s lead. Mona, it’s up to you to go between each group and keep their health up. Kujikawa, Futaba, Yamagishi: keep Mona informed. When you knock one down, get to someone else.”

“And you?” Nijima asked, though her expression told Goro that she knew the answer.

“I’m going to handle Joker, of course,” Goro replied. “Once you’ve all handled the others, you can all join me. I’m not so stupid as to believe I can hold him forever.”

Nijima smiled and nodded, “Good.”

They split up, following Goro’s orders to the letter. Briefly, Goro fantasized that this is what it might have been like had his and Ren’s destinies been reversed, but he refused to dwell on it. As the other battles raged around him, Goro’s eyes were only for Ren’s. The other teen smirked, hand hovering over his mask. Goro grinned back and, as one, they summoned their personas.

“ _Raoul!”_

_“Loki!”_

Loki’s pulsing red sword clashed against Raoul’s metal wings. The two pushed and pulled, reminiscent of a gentle wave, as neither shadow could completely overpower the other. Finally, they pushed away from each other, retreating back to their wielders. With a loud cry, Ren leapt into the air, his body moving in a graceful arc as he brought his knife down. Goro dodged, having come unprepared and feeling bereft without his own sword.

“Gocchan!” he heard and turned towards Minato. Thankfully, it was enough notice for him to catch the rapier that had been thrusted at him. He looked up at Minato, his brows furrowed.

“Don’t worry about me,” the blue-haired man smiled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out another sword. “Wild cards get dimension pockets.”

Goro rolled his eyes but was quick to snap back around as he sensed another attack. This time, he blocked it with the sword, grinning through the sparks at Ren. The curly-haired teen returned his grin with his own deranged leer. The madness that swirled in his eyes called to Goro and, surprising himself and Ren, Goro lurched forward and kissed him.

Ren staggered back suddenly, eyes wide and darting around as he shook his head. The malevolent aura that had bathed him lessened and Goro’s eyebrows raised. He’d never quite figured out what could break through the haze of Desperation, but it seemed he’d found his answer. The others were clearly still engaged with their targets, but having Joker back on their side without having to exhaust him by knocking him out first would be a clear tactical advantage. Besides, Goro thought as he gripped the sword handle, now that he remembered everything, Goro was desperate to know how much of what Ren had said before was truth.

And so, despite violence being the very core of his being, Goro decided to use different tactics.

“Ren?” he asked gently, pulling off his helm so the other teen could clearly see his garnet eyes. “Do you remember me?”

The other wild card gripped his hair between his fingers harshly and shook his head. He called out different persona names, but they couldn’t emerge as corporeally as before. Even Raoul and Satanael failed.

Goro narrowed his eyes. “I thought you loved me. Was that a lie?” He continued walking forward as Ren retreated, pulling off his gauntlets.

“No!” Ren suddenly spoke, startling them both. “O-Of course I love you!”

Goro dropped the sword and gun and slowly grabbed both of Ren’s hands in his. He gazed into gunmetal eyes that, he realized now, had never looked away from him. “I love you, too. Come back to me?”

Eyes wide and watery, Ren suddenly collapsed to his knees, grasping his head again and screaming in agony. Flustered, Goro followed him, clutching at Ren’s shoulders, offering what little comfort he could. “Fight this, Ren!” Out of the corner of his eye, Goro noted that Minato and Kirijo had been successful in taking out Takamaki; they nodded at Goro and split off to assist the others. Satisfied, Goro turned his attention back to Ren.

“You said you didn’t forget me, didn’t you? I’m sorry I can’t say the same, but even when I forgot you, I never stopped loving you,” he implored.

The warden Ren cackled out loud. “Goro, you’re never going to break through to him! You think you’re all strong enough to knock him out? No! You’ll have to _kill him_! And when you do, you’ll have the honor of facing me! _Accept it_! You’re _never_ leaving me!”

Ren’s cries increased in volume, deafening and heart wrenching, but a bright blue light started to emanate from his chest and suddenly burst out, driving the dark tendrils of madness away. He fell forward into Goro’s arms, panting and sweating, but when Goro locked eyes with Ren, his silver eyes were clear and warm.

“Goro,” he murmured. “You…accepted Loki?” The brunet nodded. “And the…others?” Goro motioned with his head and Ren looked around. Kujikawa was cradling Takamaki; Yamagishi directed Morgana to Nijima, who needed healing but was otherwise fine; Yoshizawa was gently dragging Okumura away from the fights; Kirijo and Minato had joined Yuu and Sakamoto, and it was only a matter of time before Kitagawa also succumbed; Futaba, safe inside Al Azif, guarded them from his physical attacks.

“Who…?” Ren gasped.

Goro huffed in response, “You’re not the only one capable of barking out orders around here.”

Ren chuckled weakly and nodded. Finally, Morgana made his way over and healed Ren, though it was clear that Morgana was low on stamina himself. With a groan, Ren stood, arm around Goro for support. The brunet smiled at him and kept a secure arm around Ren’s waist. Together, they faced the warden, whose face was blank.

“Are you sure you want to keep fighting?” the real Ren asked.

The warden chuckled and shook his head, biting his lip as his eyes watered. “As long as I exist, I have to fulfill my purpose.” He hunched forward as he grew, his legs extending and his body falling forward as he used all four appendages. Silver eyes expanded into large red orbs and his grimace widened, teeth elongating to large, sharp points. Wings erupted from his back, six black and leathery limbs that fluttered in agitation. His nails grew into talons that scored the floor with deep gouges. Row by row, the lights of the room flickered until the giant cognition sank into the darkness, only its glowing red eyes visible. They blinked, one by one, as they stared unerringly at Ren and Goro.

Goro scowled. “What the hell is that?”

Ren’s hand tightened on Goro’s shoulder. “Goro…what were you afraid of?”

Garnet eyes glanced at Ren quickly before returning to the threat in the room. “…as a kid, I used to hate the darkness. Monsters…tended to lurk there.”

“Monsters?”

Goro grit his teeth. “I didn’t need the metaverse to realize that the real monsters were people.”

Ren’s lips tightened, but with a nod, he let the subject go. “Then let’s face your fears. Together.”

Goro glanced behind them. Kirijo, Yoshizawa, Nijima, Futaba, and Morgana were exhausted. Fuuka was tending to the knocked-out thieves, healing them with her limited abilites. Only Kujikawa, Yuu, and Minato remained, and even then, they were all low on stamina. Ren, too, was clearly exhausted from breaking free of Desperation, despite being healed. Goro looked back into the darkness, where the creature lurked, and realized they only had one option.

“ _Fine_ ,” he grumbled. “Yuu! On the front with me and Ren. Minato, keep our health up. Kujikawa, do your best to warn us if it does anything weird!” He turned to Ren, finding a similar determined gaze in those steel eyes. “While we fend off his attacks, you and I are going to figure out what the hell else I’m hung up on so this whole stupid palace can collapse.”

Ren snorted, but an amused smile graced his face. “Sure, let me just do a decade’s worth of therapy in five minutes.”

“Make it three,” Goro bit back.

 _“Guys! Focus! It’s about to attack and it’s a big one!_ ” Kujikawa’s voice suddenly called.

The wildcards braced themselves as a black tendril struck out, forcing them all back a few feet and leaving a red welt wherever it hit. Gasping, Ren nearly fell to one knee, but Goro widened his stance and took on more of his weight. “Goddamnit, think! Why is he still here?!”

“If…” Minato panted, “If the monsters in the dark was your fear when you were a kid, what are you afraid of now?”

Goro’s eyes widened and he swallowed thickly. Kujikawa’s warning that another attack was imminent was enough of a motivator, though. “I…I was scared I’d always be alone. Because no one could ever love an unwanted child. I was scared that there was nothing in me worth loving.” Goro glanced at Ren. “Until you all tried to accept me on Shido’s ship. Until Maruki’s stupid actualization. Then, I realized, you loved me as I am. And my fear became that loving me would be the death of you. I realized the best thing for you was to forget me but…but I was so scared you actually would.”

Another tendril struck out, knocking them down. Goro scrambled to rise, trying to pull Ren with him, but their momentary pause allowed the creature to strike again with a Riot Gun attack of his own. Groaning and wheezing, Minato managed to heal them some, though his own stamina was barely enough. Standing, the two teens looked at each other again.

“Goro…I’m so sorry I ever suggested that forgetting was the right thing, but I _promise_ ,” Ren reached into his pocket and pulled out a glove— _the_ glove. “I never forgot you. When I thought you had died…I thought…I thought that maybe I should, but in the end, I decided…

 ** _I want to keep our promise._** ”

Tears flooded Goro’s eyes as he stared at the glove in Ren’s hand. “You…you kept it.” Smiling, Ren withdrew his arm so his hand could cradle Goro’s cheek. Minato and Yuu fielded off more attacks and attempted to distract the warden, but Kujikawa warned again that a larger attack was coming. Deaf to the chaos around them, Ren tilted his head and brought his lips to Goro’s. Goro clutched at Ren’s lapels, eyes screwed shut as he kissed back. They drew away slowly, Kujikawa’s warnings a distant buzz in their minds, and Ren chuckled quietly.

“I love you, Goro. I love the _real_ you. I know you will never let yourself be manipulated again and I’ll be there to keep your eyes clear. So…don’t ever forget me again and let’s move forward…together.”

With a pained whine, Goro leaned in again, kissing Ren desperately. In his heart, a burning sensation spread out through his body and blue orbs of light whirled around them; slow at first, they quickly gained speed until they burst out into an arc that managed to deflect the warden’s attack. So many chains had encased his heart, but one shattered free.

**_Justice – Amamiya Ren – Rank MAX_ **

Red eyes widened further in surprise, but Goro paid the creature no mind as a new voice rung clearly in his head. Tall, dressed in a black suit, and with broad shoulders, the archer manifested behind Goro and Ren, his deranged laughter filling the room.

“Finally! Forge your contract with me once more. Mercenary bastards such as we shall ne’er be heroes. But thou shalt struggle to the bitter end for those thou dost love! I am thou, thou art I. Let us sow chaos, that they dost dread our name!”

Goro and Ren pulled away, reinvigorated from the blue light, and they grinned to each other as one.

“Manifest, _Hereward!_ ”

“Pillage him, _Satanael!_ ”

Both persona manifested; Satanael raised his gun and unleased Black Viper as Hereward swung his bow and cast Rebellion Blade. The dual Almighty attacks struck viciously, tearing the darkness away from the creature the warden had become and blinding the occupants of the room. Row by row, the lights came back on, illuminating the whole room.

As the light from their attacks faded, Goro lowered his arm to see if Warden Ren had fallen, and gritted his teeth upon realizing that the cognitive being was still standing. Ren scowled and, nodding to each other, they both readied themselves again. However, the other Ren suddenly fell to his knees and strips of darkness started floating off and away from him as he disintegrated. Ren and Goro began to relax and silver eyes locked with their doubles.

The warden smiled, wide and genuine. “Thank you.”

Ren started. “Why?”

At this, the cognitive laughed, even as half his face had faded to nothingness. “Can you imagine how hard it is to be a warden of a prison you don’t believe in? I’m a cognition of you, after all. Goro may often be in denial,” Ren barked a laugh at Goro’s displeased frown, “but he knows you pretty well. And, as I hear, the only constant in this stupid world is that Ren loves Goro.”

Ren’s eyes softened and his hand reached for Goro’s, intertwining their fingers. “That’s right.”

One crinkled silver eye remained. “Take care of each other.” Finally, the cognitive Ren faded completely. Goro stared at the space he once inhabited, hand at his chest to sooth the pain there. With a smile, he turned to Ren, indulging in the real person. “Wanna get out of here?”

Ren grinned back. “Oh honey, I never thought you’d ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg time for the coda


	10. There’s no going back now…

_There’s no going back now…_

* * *

Thankfully, the palace—crumbling though it was—maintained until Goro himself stepped out of the asylum. The moment he crossed the threshold, it began to collapse in on itself, and the whole crew, unconscious members carried as gently as possible, were forced to run out of the metaverse. The sun hung low on the horizon as they emerged into the real world. After a few calls from Mitsuru, a few large cars arrived to transport them back to Minato’s apartment.

As the exhausted team piled in, Yuu turned back to Ren and Goro, who had hung back. “You coming?”

Ren smiled gently and shook his head, gripping Goro’s hand. The brunet didn’t answer, choosing to stare at anything but Yuu.

“I think we need some time alone.”

With a smile, Yuu nodded, sitting next to a sleeping Minato. The cars rolled away, leaving Ren alone with Goro for the first time in ages. Carefully, Ren tugged Goro’s hand and the other teen turned to him, half grimacing.

“We need to talk, don’t we?”

Ren nodded. They walked back to Goro’s apartment and, miraculously, Ren found semi-acceptable beans and made them some coffee. They sat on the comfortable couch and faced each other, coffee cups held tight in their hands.

Finally, Goro sighed heavily. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” Ren said immediately. “But let’s start with how you survived and why you led me to believe you would die if Maruki’s rewrites to our cognitions were overturned.”

Goro leant back and crossed his legs, sipping carefully. As he laid the cup back down on his lap, he hummed.

* * *

Goro stared down at his cognitive double, ignoring the increasingly frantic bangs on the other side of the hull door. His will was set once Joker—no, _Ren_ —had promised to change Shido’s heart for him. Goro could never be a hero; he had nothing to go back to. But the very least he could do was make sure that the _true_ heroes would be able to finish their mission.

A single tear rolled down his cheek as he held his gun steady, aiming between garnet eyes. They fired at the same time and Goro saw his bullet pierce his double and make it dissipate. Immediately after, he felt a searing pain rip through his head, right above his eye.

Then, nothing.

When he awoke next, he was confused at the amount of blue in the room. He looked down at himself and grimaced at the black and white garb he wore. As he got his bearings, he realized he was in a jail cell. Through the bars, he could see that the exceptionally blue room was circular in design. On one edge of the room sat multiple guillotines; in another area was an electric chair; the wall was lined with other cells, each of which had numbers above them. Directly across from him, the cell door was numbered 0.

In the center of the room was a desk, where a man with a long nose sat with his legs crossed. On either side of him, quietly talking, where two young blonde girls wearing warden outfits. Eventually, they noticed he was awake and the two girls approached him.

“Come on, inmate!” the one with blonde buns ordered aggressively, banging at the bars with her baton. “Time to determine your fate!”

“The other inmate is making his decision as we speak,” the other girl, with a long braid and a clipboard in her hand, stated calmly.

“What the hell are you on about?” Goro hissed, but the girls were impossibly strong. Despite his struggles, even managing to summon Loki, the girls defeated him quickly and forced him to kneel in front of the guillotine. They didn’t immediately prepare the device, however, simply holding him there.

“To think he would be able to summon his persona here,” the braided one commented idly.

The one with the buns snorted. “Insolence.”

Braids hummed. “Isn’t it odd, though, Caroline?”

Caroline, evidently, sighed. “Forget about it, Justine. We have enough to puzzle over with the other inmate.”

They fell silent, refusing to answer any of Goro’s questions. For what felt like hours, they held him down by his shoulders, facing the possible instrument of his death. Finally, a deep, deep voice let out a hearty chuckle and the girls turned to the man at the desk, allowing Goro to turn his head as well.

“I see!” the booming baritone seemed distinctly out of place coming from such a weird looking man, “The Trickster has made his decision. He continues to impress. This inmate is spared.”

The girls nodded. “What shall we do with him, then, Master?”

The man rested his chin on his hand. “For now, place him back in his cell.”

Swiftly, Goro was returned to the cell and the blue bars returned.

Days past, though Goro wasn’t sure how he knew that. As he sat in boredom, ignored by the other inhabitants of what they called the Velvet Room, Goro thought he could hear a voice come from the cell directly opposite his. It was entirely dark, though, so even though the wardens frequently interacted with the inmate within that cage, he couldn’t see who it was.

The voice, though, was so achingly familiar. And Goro would have thought he was going insane, were it not for the fact that he witnessed the wardens put persona in the guillotines to fuse them. Some personas he recognized, and one in particular—Metraton, Ren’s quiet voice had called it—he felt a singular draw to.

Other than the occasional sacrifice or fusion, the days blurred together, until finally, Goro _saw_ him. For some reason, Igor claimed that the inmate had failed to rehabilitate, and the twins were forced to drag _him_ out of his cell to be executed. Goro rushed to the bars, gripping at them desperately, wishing his voice could reach Ren.

Miraculously, Ren summoned his will, but he couldn’t move beyond manifesting his thief’s garb. The twins were quickly decimating him, but their own change of heart and plea to be fused saved Ren. Igor condemned them and revealed himself to be an imposter, and Goro watched on, struck speechless, as the real Igor returned; as Ren found the rest of the thieves; and as Lavenza explained what had truly occurred over the last few years.

A rage like he’d never known gripped his heart after Ren and the others left. _Just_ like Shido, Goro had been manipulated. He hadn’t been chosen by god—he was _played_ by a _false god_ , made from human indolence— _fucking laziness, of all things!_ —to sow chaos in the world in some meagre _bet_. Goro didn’t care that the fate of humanity depended on this asinine wager; what mattered was that someone had seen the suffering he’d been through and decided it was the perfect sowing grounds for the crazed, violent man he’d become.

Everything in Goro’s life was orchestrated so that he would always betray Ren. There was never any other option.

Through the red haze, Goro noticed that Ren had lingered, even as the other thieves jogged towards the exit. For some reason, he kept staring directly at Goro’s cell; however, he’d never seen Goro before, so there was no reason to assume he’d see him now.

“That cell,” Ren started, but Lavenza shook her head.

“I’m sorry, my Trickster,” and, for what it was worth, she did sound genuinely apologetic, “But that cell isn’t ready yet.”

Ren stared at her, brows furrowed. Eventually, he looked back at the cell—back at Goro—and with his mouth in a determined line, he ran out of the Velvet Room, his coat tails fluttering behind him.

As he left, Goro turned to sit back down on his cot. However, this time, Lavenza deigned to approach his cell.

“Hello, other Trickster.”

Goro turned back to face her. “You’re talking to me now?”

Lavenza winced. “I apologize. While I was under the influence of the false god, I followed his orders absolutely.” She looked up at him, eyes unwavering. “You must have heard everything.”

Goro gave her a flat look.

“I’m sorry to you as well,” she sighed, “What an unfair hand you were dealt. However, you are here.”

“Am I finally going to get an explanation as to why that is?”

Lavenza smiled. “Someone in the real world has kept you in their cognition—in their heart. The world is a construct of the cognition; it can be whatever humans desire it to be. Because that person kept you in their cognition, you have remained here in the Velvet Room—a place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. And now that Mementos and the real world have fused, things that were only possible in places such as the Velvet Room and Mementos can now exist in the real world.”

Goro’s eyes were wide. “Are you saying…?”

“I must leave now. Although Yaldabaoth is a false god, humanity’s belief in him makes him as strong as a true god. I will need to support my Trickster however I can. Should he fail, however…” Lavenza reached through the bars to hold Goro’s hand. “I may not see you again. If I do not, please know this: you deserve love. You deserve happiness. You deserve a second chance. I know there is someone out there who is desperate to give you that chance.”

Goro grit his teeth, his fingers slowly folding to intertwine with Lavenza’s. His other hand clutched at the hem of his shirt. His breath became ragged as he fought off the tears, but they fell regardless. He nodded firmly, however, hiccoughing as he spoke. “I won’t waste it.”

Lavenza’s answering smile was brilliant. “Then, I hope to see you again—as a guest of the Velvet Room.” With that, she withdrew her hand gently and ran out of the Velvet Room. Left alone with the true Igor, the exhausted old man leaning back in his desk, Goro fell to his knees and allowed the sobs to rack his body. When he quieted, he was startled by Igor’s high, surprising voice.

“You were also meant to be a guest of the Velvet Room,” he said, still facing away from Goro, “Yaldabaoth ensured that you were not mentored as you should have been. For that, I apologize. You were never meant to endure this journey alone.”

The tears returned.

After what felt like hours, Goro was startled awake. He looked around, scrambling back from his place against the bars as the Velvet Room was enveloped in light. Small orbs of brightness levitated off every surface and Goro noticed that Igor was standing in the middle of the room, similar balls of light escaping from him.

“What’s going on?” the brunet cried.

Igor chuckled. “The Trickster and his friends have prevailed.” The old man turned around, his wide smile somehow larger as he stared at Goro. “Your time here with us has come to an end. Remember what Lavenza has said. We will see you soon, Trickster.”

Goro tried to yell more questions, but the world faded to white. When next he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself standing in the middle of Shibuya. He looked around wildly, but no one paid him any mind. No one asked him questions, or demanded his photograph, or even arrested him. He looked down, half expecting to be covered in blood, but he was in his normal school outfit of a tan jacket, black gloves, and his black slacks. He jumped as a blue butterfly landed on his nose.

“The fu—”

“Trickster,” it said, in Lavenza’s voice. Goro’s shoulders sagged. “In this world, you are no longer the famous Detective Prince. For most people, you no longer exist in their cognition.”

“So…what was the point?”

“There is still one person who believed in you so strongly, that you were able to come back. For this person, you have a place in the real world. I say again: you deserve a second chance.” With that, glittering blue wings beat quickly, carrying the butterfly away and out of Goro’s sight.

“We’ll steal your heart!”

“Yeah!”

Goro turned towards the cheesy cheer and found all the thieves huddled together, with the evident exception of Morgana. He watched as they slowly said their goodbyes and dispersed, though Ren remained. The curly-haired boy, despite literally saving the world, stood alone and stared at the sky. Even in crowded Shibuya, somehow there was an invisible barrier around him, leaving Ren utterly alone.

Goro felt his heart in his throat.

 _Could I…_ he thought as he took one hesitant step forward, _Could I fill that space?_

As he continued to move towards Ren, he stopped when he noticed Sae approaching from the other direction. He was close enough to hear their conversation and his heart stopped when he heard Sae’s explanation. If he knew Ren—and Goro liked to think he did—he knew Ren would do it. Hands clenching, Goro made his decision.

“I’ll ask you once more. I’d like for you to turn yourself into the police, of your own accord,” Sae said.

With a deep breath, Goro stepped forward and spoke as clearly as he could, keeping the wavering out of his voice. “There’s no need for that.”

“You…” Sae stepped back, eyeing Goro up and down.

“If they get their hands on the perpetrator, there’ll be no need for him to turn himself in, no?” Goro continued, undaunted.

Ren gaped at him. “You’re…alive!” he breathed.

Goro smirked, turning to Ren and amused to have finally surprised the teen. “That appears to be the case.”

As both Sae and Ren tried to delve into his motivations, Goro easily deflected them. Sae’s eyes were narrowed, but the hard set of suspicion in her shoulders eased as they continued talking. Thankfully, she also didn’t allow Ren to continue his questions and agreed to take Goro in herself. Refusing to look back at Ren, however much he craved it, Goro quickly walked away and decided to wait for Sae by the road. Finally, he heard the click of her heels approach and he turned towards her.

“Akechi…are you sure about this?” she asked again. “Not that this doesn’t work out perfectly for me, but I’m still unclear about why you’ve chosen to do this.”

Goro sighed, hanging his head. “I told you. I have debts to pay. My sense of justice may have been clouded before, but this time, I choose to no longer be manipulated, either by some false deity, or some trash politician…or my own hubris.” Goro chanced a glance back. Ren was still in the middle of the square, staring at the sky, alone. “And…if I want to make the most of this second chance, I think I have to realize that whatever place there is for me in the world…”

 _It’s not by his side_.

Sae’s eyes softened and she placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “I think you’d be surprised,” she said, though he never finished his thought. “I will prosecute this case with extreme prejudice, but I do think…I think you deserve a lighter sentence. Let’s talk about this tomorrow morning.”

But, in the morning, Goro woke up to a world that felt _wrong_. He couldn’t put his finger on it, though, and so he continued to do his best to atone in jail. Sae visited him often, grilling him with questions, and Goro happily gave every detail he could remember. Occasionally, he could hear a high voice telling him to leave, but Goro couldn’t find the voice nor understand what it wanted.

And then New Year’s came and Goro was practically kicked out of jail. Confused, more than a little angry, and still feeling the distortion in the air, Goro knew there was only one place he could turn to—or rather, one _person_.

* * *

“And I don’t have to explain what happened after that, do I?” Goro finished, sipping at the last dredges of his coffee.

Ren shook his head. “But…if you came back to life completely, why didn’t you tell me? Why did you let me think you would die?”

Goro cradled his chin in his hand, eyes narrowed. “I…can only hypothesize. Maruki met you and your friends and brought their wishes to life. He saw that you had lost me and presumed to bring me back to life, because he believed that was your greatest wish. In that sense, the Akechi Goro who existed in Maruki’s world was both me and not me. It was a version of me convinced that I had died, because Maruki was convinced I had died. He didn’t realize that I had been given a second chance at life.

As I understand, on the same day that Maruki awakened to his persona and the metaverse, I just happened to come back to life. He had no way of knowing yet that I was the real Akechi Goro. As far as he knew, his actualization is what brought me back.”

Ren held his hand. “So, your cognition was also overwritten to believe you would die if Maruki’s world disappeared.” Ren smirked. “You sure love to hear yourself talk, by the way.”

Goro huffed. “Like you don’t love the sound of my voice.”

“I do,” Ren purred, leaning forward, “but I’d rather you were saying my name.”

Face bright red, Goro shoved Ren back with a hand to the other boy’s face. Ren laughed unapologetically. Despite himself, Goro allowed a small smile to curl his lips as well. Eventually, though, they both sobered.

“So, where do we go from here? You remember everything right?” Ren questioned.

Goro pulled his hand away, looking down into his empty cup, gripping it like a lifeline. “Yes…The truth is, I love you.”

A beaming smile crossed Ren’s face. “I love you, too.” It dimmed when Goro refused to look at him. “Why am I sensing a ‘but’?”

Goro chuckled weakly. “Because there is one. Ren, I love you, more than I’ve ever loved anything in the world. More than I love myself.” Finally, Goro lifted his eyes to Ren’s, his garnet eyes filled with tears. “And that’s a problem.”

Ren bit his lip. “I don’t understand.”

“I _don’t_ love myself, Ren. I don’t know who I am outside of a murderer who plotted revenge against his asshole father. There are so many people I have to make amends to, you included. You shouldn’t have been in jail in my stead.”

Ren’s brows furrowed. “That reminds me…where _were_ you when the world was returned to the way it was supposed to be?”

Goro shrugged. “I woke up in the rehab center my mother had gone to when I was a child. I…I really, genuinely don’t regret the murders I committed, with one exception.” Goro sighed, looking away. “I guess I was hoping going there would remind me of who I was, but it didn’t. I lost my way and I was afraid to face you again. You had gone to jail in my place, we all thought I would die in Maruki’s world, and I thought maybe…maybe it was better if I was forgotten by everyone…including you.”

Ren frowned. “So, you went to Gekkoukan High to be forgotten.”

Goro nodded. “I thought being forgotten and forgetting myself would cure me. And I suppose, at some point, that obsession to forget you and move forward, to look away from who I had become, was what formed my palace.”

“So…what are you saying?”

Goro smiled gently at Ren. “Until I can learn who I am outside of what I’ve done; learn to forgive myself and move forward; and atone for the crimes I’ve committed…I think we should put this relationship on hold.” Goro placed the cup on the coffee table and gently cradled Ren’s face in his hands. “I can’t love you the way I _know_ you deserve until I know I can love myself.”

Ren bit his lip, leaning his forehead gently against Goro’s, eyes sliding shut. He took in a deep breath, hard as it was against the knot in his throat. “I know you’re right…but I hate it. We’re finally together…and somehow something is still keeping us apart.” With a sigh, Ren opened his eyes to find that Goro had been staring at him. “Are you going to turn yourself in?”

Goro nodded.

“At least wait until you finish high school?” Ren begged. “We only have this one year together. It’ll be hard to get your high school diploma in jail. You deserve a life after jail; don’t make it harder than it has to be.”

Goro frowned and pulled away slowly, “Ren, I—”

Ren lurched forward and kissed Goro. When Goro tried to pull away, Ren grasped his shoulders and pulled him back, insistent. Despite himself, Goro leaned into the embrace and kissed him back, winding his arms around Ren’s shoulders. They kissed until their lungs burned and, when they pulled apart, Ren immediately hugged Goro to him, hiding his face in Goro’s shoulder.

Blinking, Goro gently squeezed Ren’s shoulders. “…Do you want me to stay until graduation?”

Ren nodded. “Please.”

“Why?”

“We know each other so well, but there’s still things we don’t know about each other’s lives. Maybe…maybe us getting to know each other as friends will help you learn more about who you are. And…I’ve finally got the _real_ Akechi Goro in my life. Please don’t limit me to 30-minute visitations at the jail, not when you promised me a whole year.”

Goro chuckled. “I see. You’re right, I did.”

They sat there for a long while, embracing each other. Long after the sun had retreated and the moon shone gently in the night sky, long after the clock chimed that it was midnight, they remained on the couch in each other’s arms. With a groan, Goro pulled himself away, immediately grabbing Ren’s hands when the teen frantically grasped for him.

He hauled the exhausted leader to his feet, leading him to the bedroom. At the threshold, he gave Ren a stern glare. “We're sleeping.”

Ren gave a sleepy grin. “I’ll behave.”

Goro raised his brow, but dragged Ren into his bedroom where they did sleep for a very long time, wrapped up in each other’s arms.

* * *

The many messages on Ren’s phone the next morning were warning enough that the two of them should hurry back to Minato’s apartment. Neither of them could manage completely honest smiles at each other. Instead of the steady harmony they’d found while they were dating, they now found themselves stumbling into each other; hesitantly speaking over each other; and Ren made several excuses to go to the other room to gently bang his head against the wall.

As they walked to the apartment, a sensible distance between them and their hands in their pockets, Ren kept glancing at Goro from the corner of his eye. Yesterday, the teen was docile and vulnerable, and Ren wondered if that was the Goro he was willing to present to the others. In seemingly no time, they arrived at Minato’s apartment door. Ren turned to Goro, raising an eyebrow. Goro met his gaze, took a deep breath, and nodded. Before Ren could open the door completely, though, Goro’s hand darted out and pulled it closed. Ren turned back around and was surprised by Goro leaning forward to place a kiss on his cheek.

“…Not that I’m not super happy about that, but you’re giving me mixed signals here,” Ren said, voice strained.

Goro chuckled. “You may have to get used to those. I don’t regret the decision I made, because it’s one that will ultimately be best for both of us. But…I do hope you’ll wait for me.”

Ren smiled gently and, in response, wrapped an arm around Goro’s waist while his other hand snaked into the brunet’s soft hair. Stroking Goro’s cheek with his thumb, he pressed his forehead against Goro’s. Goro wrapped his arms around Ren’s waist, hands gripping the back of Ren’s jacket.

“Of course, I’ll wait for you. Whatever you choose to do, I’ll be here. Just…don’t forget me?”

Goro smirked at him, and Ren felt a rush the likes of which he hadn’t felt since they’d fought together in Maruki’s palace; it was the same, haughty little smirk he knew set Ren’s blood aflame. “Never, as long as you come back to me.”

Ren shook his head, his bangs brushing against Goro’s. “Always.”

“ _Sap_ ,” Goro chided, though he was holding back laughter. Snickering, Ren leaned forward, pressing his lips against Goro’s. Goro kissed him back, and finally, the chains around Ren’s heart truly broke away.

Whatever it took, wherever their journeys led them for now, they would always find their way back to each other. Ren was sure of it.

Occupied, neither boy noticed the door had opened until Ryuji let out a screech and dragged Ren away by his collar.

“Not until he’s 25, Akechi!”

Ren laughed, hugging Ryuji tightly. “Thanks for protecting my chastity, bro.”

“Bro.”

“Bro.”

Goro rolled his eyes. “If you do that in front of me, I will never let you play with my hair again.”

Ren immediately shoved Ryuji away, ignoring the blond’s betrayed cries. With a smirk, Goro flipped his hair and strolled into the apartment. Ren turned to face the room with him; as they had expected, all the phantom thieves were still there, joined by Sojiro, Sae, and Mitsuru. Ren glanced at Goro and could see the teen’s clenched hands—once again in their black gloves—but his face betrayed nothing.

Makoto’s laugh, however, broke the tension. “Wow, Akechi-kun. We’ll need to keep you around more often so we can keep Ren in check.”

The others soon joined in. Ren, chuckling, was more amused by the open astonishment on Goro’s face.

“That’s it?” he asked. “We’re all just…okay with this?” he motioned between himself and Ren.

Haru answered him, alleviating some of the anxiety in Ren’s chest. “We’re not…completely okay, Akechi-kun. I think there will be a lot of hard conversations moving forward, and a lot of atonement, on both our parts; nevertheless, we intend to move forward and we intend to do so _with_ you.”

“Yeah, dude, we didn’t exactly do right by you,” Ryuji muttered, shoulders hunched. “We knew you were like us, but we let our hurt feelings get in the way. We’re the freakin’ Phantom Thieves; we did it so we could save people like us, and then we failed one of our own.” The others nodded, murmuring their agreement.

Sae uncrossed her arms, leaning over to rest her elbows on her knees. “There’s also the matter of your legal isuues. I would like to represent you as your defense attorney.”

Goro shook his head slowly. “I don’t understand. Why?”

“Akechi-kun, you’ve been through some truly traumatic experiences,” Sae replied quietly. “I now know, intimately, how unwanted children in Japan are treated. As you had been completely alone, I honestly can’t say that no one else in your position would not reasonably act as you had. Furthermore, it’s clear you had been manipulated by Shido. When you committed your crimes, you were a child; you’re technically not even completely mature now, despite your demeanor.

I believe you should be given leniency as long as you show you are willing to reform and make amends.”

Goro ducked his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. Probably not as surreptitiously as he might have hoped, he stepped closer to Ren. Ren merely stepped closer as well, pressing his shoulder against Goro’s.

“Thank you, Sae-san,” Goro whispered. “Everyone…thank you.”

Ann’s keen eyes darted between the two boys until she pointed at them. “Okay, what’s going on here? Renren would be all over Gororo by now!”

Goro’s head snapped up, his garnet eyes ice. “What the hell did you just call me?”

“There it is,” Futaba laughed. “His tsundere is coming back out!”

Ren cackled, doubled over and holding onto Goro’s shoulder for support. With a sneer, Goro roughly shrugged him off, allowing the bespectacled teen to fall to the floor. Ann stepped over and sat down on the chortling teen, glaring up at Goro. “You’re not escaping me! What’s going on?”

At that, Ren quieted and Goro’s hostile expression softened. Goro looked away. “We’re not together anymore.” Goro continued, unheeding of Ryuji’s “ _The hell?!”_

“I have a lot to…overcome internally. We need to learn more about each other first, too.”

Ren gently pushed Ann off and stood up beside Goro again, smiling. “Yeah. He’s not the only one with some internal stuff to figure out, either, honestly. For now, we have to make sure we’re both okay enough to _be_ in a relationship with each other.”

Sae nodded. “That’s very mature of you both. I think that’s a good idea.”

Minato tilted his head. “So…what now?”

Goro and Ren smiled at each other.

* * *

As promised, the very next week, Ren went to his hearing regarding his custody. Sae, Sojiro, Yuu, and Minato all accompanied him. Morgana joined too, stowed secretly in Ren’s bag. It wasn’t anything like the court battles Ren was used to seeing on TV; most everyone spoke calmly and were only allowed to speak whenever the judge told them to. No, the most surprising thing was seeing that _both_ his parents had responded to the summons.

Sitting far apart from each other, Ren’s mother didn’t bother to acknowledge either of them. When the judge had asked her opinion, she immediately said she had renounced her rights as a mother and didn’t care what Ren chose to do. She then asked to be excused from the rest of the proceedings. As she left, she briefly paused by Ren and they stared at each other. He’d never really thought about it, but he was her splitting image; her hair was long and curly, her eyes a slightly darker shade of silver. In fact, Ren as Akira could probably pass as her younger sister.

They continued to stare at each other for a while, Susumu opening and closing her mouth, each time looking more frustrated. Finally, Ren had enough.

“If you’re looking for me to forgive you, I don’t. You weren’t a good mother. Maybe you never wanted to be, and maybe you never wanted to be with Masanori, but none of that was my fault. You won’t get any closure from me. Thanks for not aborting me, I guess. Goodbye.”

Susumu’s gunmetal eyes were wide and blinking rapidly. Slowly, a mischievous smile spread on her face and she shook her head. “I should have paid more attention to you, Ren. You’re just like me. I can’t believe it.” She shrugged and gave him a cocky smile. “Good. Don’t ever let anyone else define your worth. I hope these people are better parents than I ever was.”

Ren smirked back at her. “They are, but that’s a pretty low bar.”

She left the courtroom laughing.

“Somehow, I do get the feeling that both of you are very alike,” Morgana muttered. Oddly, that warmed Ren.

As they turned to Masanori, the suddenly meek man apologized for his behavior, but promised to be a better parent, nearly begging to make his point. Ultimately, the judge decided that Ren was old enough to make his own decisions, and asked Ren to choose who he wanted to stay with. So, of course—

“I’d rather my name be Sakura Ren from now on. Until I finish high school, I’d like to stay with Arisato-san and Narukami-san. Once I graduate, I’d like to move in with my real father, Sakura Sojiro.”

Masanori ducked his head down, hiding his face in his hands and the judge agreed to the terms. He explained to Sae how to proceed with the name change paperwork and handed her the documents that officially declared Sojiro Sakura Ren’s adopted father. Another sheaf of papers declared Minato and Yuu his temporary guardians and officially part of his extended family. After declaring that another date would be set to determine Masanori’s punishment for child neglect, abuse, and assault, the judge dismissed everyone.

Everyone filed out, but Ren hung back to watch his father. The man hadn’t moved, still bent over the defense table. Even his attorney had left, after giving the man a lackluster pat on the back.

“Maybe you should talk to him,” Minato said, surprising Ren.

Ren turned to his other new parent. “Should I?”

Minato shrugged. “Not necessarily to help him, granted. But I get the feeling that you should.”

Eyes narrowed, Ren nevertheless obeyed and walked over to Masanori. He spent a few moments staring at the man. Whatever hard veneer Masanori had tried to present before was stripped away, the lines of his shoulders slumped in abject misery. Morgana popped out of his bag, paws on Ren’s shoulder as he regarded the man, too.

“Masanori?”

“You were right,” he said suddenly. “I’m…I’m never going to love you how you deserve, and I can’t ever make up for what I’ve done, but I didn’t…” Masanori shook his head, still refusing to look at Ren. “You were both right to leave. I’m so sorry.”

Morgana and Ren exchanged a look, eyes equally wide.

“A change of heart,” Morgana whispered.

Ren’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Finally, he sighed and nodded. “If you want to make things right by me, don’t appeal this ruling. I don’t need you to be a father; I just need you to be a decent human being.”

Masanori frowned. “You’re not even considering going back to Susumu? She loved you more than she ever loved me, after all.”

And Ren couldn’t help the intense wave of pity that overcame him. “Masanori…I _lied_. Susumu never remembered my birthdays, either. She only bragged about me in front of her friends. Neither of you defended me when I got framed. The honest truth was, you were _both_ terrible parents…she just realized it sooner.

She realized that the best she could do for me was let me go to a family that actually loves me. I hope you find that someday.”

Ren didn’t bother waiting for an answer, turning to leave with the others. Minato met him at the threshold and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Better?”

Ren nodded and Morgana crawled out of his bag, allowing Ren to cradle the cat in his arms. Ren knew he didn’t really need other people to find closure, but something in him shifted with greater understanding.

“I love you, Ren,” Morgana muttered quietly, his paw pressing against Ren’s heart. Ren gave a watery smile back.

“I love you too, Morgana. Let’s go home.”

* * *

Ren had recommended Yoshino after apparently seeing her himself, so Goro figured he could test her mettle. He called her and immediately appreciated her monotone voice; then he arranged a group session with her so he could talk through one of his greatest regrets.

And that’s how Goro found himself sitting in Yoshino’s office with Okumura and Futaba. The November weather didn’t permeate the office, but Goro was reluctant to take off his tan coat. Okumura had taken off her long white coat, revealing her modest pink sweater dress. She left her cap on. Futaba herself was in her overlarge sweater and black cap, and Goro reluctantly worried that perhaps Futaba needed a coat.

Yoshino’s blank face matched the voice Goro had heard over the phone, but the rest of her was somewhat unexpected. Her long red hair was tied back into a professional ponytail, but the white Lolita dress she wore seemed to contradict the tidy hairstyle.

Okumura shifted a bit in her chair. “Before we begin…Akechi-kun, is there a reason you wanted us all to have this conversation with Yoshino-san present?”

Goro shrugged. “It’s an incredibly delicate subject. I thought having a professional around to help us navigate the conversation would be beneficial.”

 _And, in case you decide to attack me, I have a witness_ , Goro didn’t say.

Yoshino nodded once, slowly. “I am here only as an intermediary. I will warn you when your emotions are preventing your communication.”

Futaba, legs pulled up on the couch and hunched forward as her arms wrapped around her legs, sighed deeply. “Okay, well. How do we start, then, Gororo?”

The look of fury on Goro’s face did nothing to intimidate the others in the room so, with a huff, Goro started talking. Since their official “break up,” Ren and Goro spent a lot of their time together playing chess, drinking coffee, making curry, and talking. They talked about their favorite shows and movies; their preferred seasons; who they were shipping amongst the Phantom Thieves; and even what they would wear to Minato and Yuu’s wedding. In between those, they also talked about their childhood, their fears, Ren’s progress in therapy, and their old dreams. They talked about what they saw for themselves in the future, as they felt like they were stumbling along with no particular goal in sight.

Until now, Goro wanted Ren to be the only one to know the deepest parts of Goro. But he figured, if he wanted to make amends, he needed to make some concessions. So, while he would never expose himself to Okumura and Futaba the way he had to Ren, he at least divulged a bit about his childhood.

He told them about the foster homes and the unseemly things he experienced; the caretakers and negligence and outright abuse; about his discovering that power he thought had been a reward for suffering so much; and then using that power to investigate the foster parents he was saddled with and discovering that they only wanted to use him. He eventually told them about even investigating his classmates and teachers and finding out that no one ever loved him as he was.

His hands clenched as he talked, staring down at his lap, refusing to look at any one of them lest he see pity in their eyes. Finally, he explained that through his own talent at investigating, he found out Shido was his father. In infiltrating Shido’s palace—which, at the time, was not as grand as it was when the thieves infiltrated it two years later—he discovered that Shido had no interest in his mother and refused to acknowledge Goro as his son. Flippant though he seemed, Shido had sent multiple shadows to attack Goro. Knowing he was no match, Goro attempted to escape before he could finish his interrogation, but was cornered just before he escaped.

“And then Loki was born,” he finished. He chanced a glance up.

“Goro…” Futaba whispered. Haru didn’t say a word, but her eyes were wet with tears.

“And that was the moment I decided to destroy Shido. I’d had already been working towards the detective prince persona and using the metaverse only made it easier and faster to gain fame. Within months, Shido sought me out himself; he approached me with a deal and, like a fool, I accepted.” Goro’s eyes narrowed, his scowl prominent on his face. “I blinded myself with my plan, thinking myself infallible. Of course someone that paranoid and demented would have me taken out as soon as he achieved his goal, even if it meant getting rid of his only means of entering the metaverse.” With a sigh, he sat back and crossed his arms and legs, staring at the other two. “Well, now that you have the context, feel free to ask your questions.”

“Was my mom the first person you killed?” Futaba blurted out immediately, staring at Goro desperately.

Goro didn’t look away. “No. Technically, I had already killed a few people by proxy of making them go psychotic. Isshiki was the first person whose shadow I personally killed in the metaverse, however.”

“Did…did you know what would happen?”

Goro’s hand tightened on his sleeve. “I had an idea. I won’t lie to you and say I hadn’t connected the dots by then. I knew there was a strong possibility she would die. I had no idea when or how, nor did I know what he intended to do with you after she died.”

“Do you regret it?” she asked quietly.

“Every day,” Goro replied quickly. He took a deep breath. “Isshiki…was unlike the other shadows I encountered. She merely existed in Mementos; she didn’t have a distorted area. She was a genuinely good person and very brave.” Futaba’s legs dropped to the floor as she leaned forward.

* * *

Goro held his gun to Isshiki’s forehead, methodical and dispassionate. Unlike the others, who he enjoyed taunting with some modicum of hope or the ones that thought they stood a chance in a fight against him, Isshiki quietly accepted her fate. It was curious enough to prompt him to ask—

“Were you expecting me?”

Isshiki nodded. “All that funding coming out of nowhere? And then they started suggesting fields to study? It made sense to do some research into who was funding me. Shido’s a scary guy. I tried to get my affairs in order, but…I guess I ran out of time.”

Goro tilted his head. “What affairs?”

“You’re awfully chatty for an assassin,” she noted lightly, “but you do look kind of young. And what’s with that weird outfit?”

“Do you really want your last words to be insults on my attire?”

She laughed. “Guess not. Look…I get the feeling this isn’t exactly what you want to do, and you don’t really have much choice.” She considered him and her eyes were suddenly far too piercing. “Or maybe you _think_ you don’t have much choice.”

Goro chuckled, but it was harsh and bitter. “I made my choice. I won’t deviate now.”

“I see,” she shook her head. “In that case, I won’t beg you to give me more time or spare me or anything, but…my daughter’s name is Isshiki Futaba. Can you…she can’t go to my family, please. Please make sure my friend, Sakura Sojiro, takes her in.”

Goro scowled, silently staring at her. His chest twisted and raged at this display; it seemed everyone else in the world was destined to have parents that loved them. Even this unfortunate girl, who he would leave parentless, would have someone to love her.

Why should _she_ get that when _he_ had to suffer through hell just to be accepted?

Goro grit his teeth. Despite himself, despite his jealousy and anger and frustration—

“You have my word.” And then he pulled the trigger on her smiling face.

* * *

It took some time to find her, especially as Shido was piling requests on Goro like he was a damn fairy godmother, but when he did Goro cursed himself for taking so long. He didn’t even intend to do it, but as much as Goro was hollow on the inside, he considered his word to be of some value…sometimes.

That said, he really shouldn’t have been surprised at the depravity Shido was willing to sink to. He’d had Futaba thoroughly broken mentally before bribing child services to make sure every house she went to would further damage the girl. If things continued, Goro was sure Futaba would never recover. Once he found her, he used his contacts and influence, as secretly as possible, to contact Sakura. He did his best to make it seem like the man himself came across the information. Once Sakura did, he made sure to work behind the scenes to expedite Futaba’s custody papers.

Thankfully, Sakura himself did much of the legwork and was ferocious about securing Futaba’s safety. If that wasn’t enough to convince him, Goro had sought out Sakura’s shadow and, besides being disgustingly in love with Isshiki and regretful of their last moments together, he was a genuinely good man who would take good care of Futaba.

Envy coursing through him like black tar in his veins, he nonetheless secured their future together as well as he could reasonably risk. Although it seemed Futaba developed severe agoraphobia and anthropophobia, Goro hoped that Sakura would be able to help her recover.

After one last check at LeBlanc to make sure Sakura would be fine with the addition to his family, Goro left quickly. One day, he figured, he could come by for a cup of coffee—and, hopefully, Futaba would be well enough to be there.

* * *

Fat tears slowly trailed down Futaba’s cheeks as Goro finished recounting. Goro shifted, drawing into himself more, and looked away from those over-large eyes. The room had fallen uncomfortably quiet.

Yoshino’s calm eyes regarded them. “Sakura-chan, how does that make you feel?”

“Thank you, Goro,” she whispered. “I…I mean, I hoped that you killing mom wasn’t so deliberate, but I guess that was naïve. Still…thank you so much for looking out for me and Sojiro. Thank you for fulfilling her last wish.”

Goro grumbled. “I was killing an innocent person…she deserved that much.”

Finally, Okumura spoke. “And…my father?”

Goro turned to Okumura, straight into her gentle and hopeful eyes. “I don’t regret killing him and I never will.”

Okumura’s hand, curled into the pillow she’d pulled onto her lap, suddenly gripped the pillow harshly, nearly breaking the stitches. Yoshino’s keen eyes watched her, but Okumura took a deep breath and continued. “…Please explain why. I need to understand.”

“You must have noticed the difference between my palace and Okumura’s? The size and intricacies of a palace are usually indicative of its age and distortion. While Okumura’s own ambitions were narrow and small-minded, his palace was quite old. Besides, had he succeeded and ‘ascended’ to the political world, I’m sure his palace would have become as large as Shido’s.”

Goro’s eyes softened. “People are more complex than good and bad, Okumura-chan. I’m not saying there wasn’t some modicum of good in your father…I think he loved you. I just think he loved himself more. But even had he changed, what then?”

Okumura shook her head. “He could have reformed, Akechi-kun! He could have had time to talk to me about why he did what he did! I could have had time to forgive him! Even…even if he had to go to jail, we could have started over…”

“Could you? Okumura-chan, if you’ll excuse the comparison, you’re almost as vengeful as I am.” Okumura snorted at that and Goro gave her a small smirk before sobering. “I am sorry that I hurt you. I am sorry that you didn’t have a father who realized you were more important than all the money in the world. But…it’s naïve to think everything would return to normal once his crimes came to light— _all_ of his crimes. Honestly, killing him was a mercy.”

“Although killing people is probably not the way to remove criminals in our society, Akechi-kun,” Yoshino interjected. Goro glared at her.

“Yes, well _now_ I think I’ve figured it out, thank you.”

Goro turned back to face Okumura, eyes wide, as he heard her quiet giggles. Eventually, she was full-on guffawing, holding her stomach as tears sprung to her eyes. Her laughter was slightly maniacal. Compelled, Goro walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Futuba mirrored him, placing her hands on Okumura’s opposite arm. Soon enough, the laughter became deep, wracking sobs. For a long while, Okumura cried and yelled at him, cursing him for taking away her father.

At that, Yoshino interceded again. “Okumura-chan—are you sure you’re angry at Akechi-kun for taking away your father?”

Okumura took in deep, watery breaths as Goro gave Yoshino an inquiring glance. She didn’t look away from Okumura, though. Finally, the heiress shook her head.

“Akechi-kun…I’ll never forgive you for killing my father,” Okumura sighed, looking up at Akechi with blank eyes. “It forced me to realize that I had responsibilities now. It’s so awful, but I fully expected our privilege to allow him to serve minimal jail time. Then he’d be home running the business, and I would learn with him. You forced me to acknowledge the aspects of myself that expected someone else to save me. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to inherit the business, but it felt like you took that choice away from me, too.”

Goro sat down, eyebrows furrowed as he processed her words. “So…”

She smiled, her dull eyes brightening a little. “I want to be friends, though. I think there’s a lot we can understand about each other because…I feel like a lot of your choices were taken away from you, too. So…since we’re friends now, please call me Haru, Akechi-kun.”

The alarm rang. Yoshino stood. “This session is over. I would like to note…there is much more to unpack here, but I believe you will be able to continue this without me. Do you feel comfortable doing so?”

Futaba, _Haru_ , and Goro all glanced at each other. Haru held out her hand, her wistful smile sincere. Futaba easily slid her hand into one of Goro’s, then grasped Haru’s other hand, grinning at them. With a deep, put-upon sigh, Goro nodded and gently held Haru’s outstretched hand. He couldn’t quite hide the quirk of his lips, though. “I prefer when my friends call me Goro.” Haru squeezed his hand and her smile widened.

The brunet smiled up at Yoshino. “I think we’ll be fine from here, but if you don’t mind…”

The tiniest of smiles graced her pale face. “Now that I’ve passed your test, can we move forward with scheduling your own sessions? Of course.”

Goro should have known.

* * *

March 5th somehow came out of nowhere for them.

Their graduation now behind them, though with literal tons of pictures to commemorate the occasion, Ren and Goro sat beside each other on the couch, surrounded by their friends and their friends’ friends, as all the third years of their little crew celebrated their final year as high school students.

Haru did them the favor of ordering large platters of sushi, fried chicken, and a variety of desserts; Minato and Yuu hung up decorations; and Sojiro brought his own coffee supplies to make the most exceptional coffee possible for everyone. While all the phantom thieves hovered near each other, some of them ventured out of their group to talk to Yuu and Minato’s friends that had managed to visit. Without the Velvet Room door, arrangements were made weeks in advance to coordinate their travel and hotel stays. Although Ren had fretted over the many plans Minato poured over, Yuu assured Ren that hosting a large gathering was on their bucket list and they genuinely enjoyed the process.

Ren sat back and watched the party, one arm wrapped around Goro’s shoulders while the brunet leaned against him. Goro, who had begun the party sitting up straight, was now leaning almost completely against Ren, idly playing with Ren’s fingers as he and Futaba were engaged in a debate regarding the first Featherman film. Ann and Morgana were teasing Ryuji over his mystery crush, Yusuke obliviously painting the scene. Haru and Makoto were talking to Eriko and Naoya, but Ren couldn’t hear their conversation. Sae and Mitsuru had been talking for quite some time, and Ren wondered who was the more serious of the two. Most of the Shadow Operatives hung together and Minato had joined them to reminisce about some mission where Junpei got lost for six hours. Yuu also stuck close to his old friends, congratulating Naoto and Kanji on their recent engagement. Sumire had been helping Sojiro in the kitchen, and they had eventually been joined by Yukino.

Ren’s eyes wandered to the wall of pictures Minato and Yuu had; in the center, hanging side by side, were Ren and Goro’s diplomas. Directly around them, artfully arranged by Yusuke, were pictures of all the thieves at their graduations. Pictures from last year had been reprinted so Makoto and Haru could be included and, since Shujin and Gekkoukan had different graduation dates, they were all able to attend each other’s graduations.

Ostensibly, that was what this party was to celebrate, but Ren couldn’t find it in him to join in beyond attending. Although he was happy to see all his friends and was glad that, for the most part, they were all making strides to move forward in healthier ways, Ren couldn’t move past the fact that this wasn’t just a graduation party.

Although there was no banner hung to advertise it, their closest friends all knew that this was also a farewell party for Goro.

Goro did keep his promise to finish the rest of his school year with Ren, to take the time to make friends and connections, and to learn more about who he was outside of what had been defined for him. He did so well, in fact, Ren could occasionally see the gleam of blue sparkles that signified a strengthened bond. In return, Ren was forced to accept that, two days after their graduation, Goro would be turning himself in for judgement. All the paperwork had already been processed and Ren could argue that, technically, Goro had turned himself in much sooner. Sae, as his attorney, had argued to the judge that Goro without his metaverse powers posed no risk and his recent memory loss probably made him even less threatening. The judge agreed to an affordable bail and set the court date for March 6th.

Although Sae was confident Goro would receive a relatively light sentence, Ren didn’t want to be separated from Goro yet again.

The night wore on and, eventually, their guests all left. Like their first visit, the phantom thieves were invited to spend the night in the apartment. Ren had made a fort out of blankets and chairs, and the other boys respectfully didn’t intrude on their private bubble. Settled into mountains of pillows and blankets on the living room floor, Ren shamelessly pressed as close as he could to Goro.

“Are you talking to me yet?” Goro whispered, wrapping his hand around Ren’s wrist.

Ren pressed his nose into Goro’s hair, inhaling. “I never stopped.”

“Don’t give me that,” Goro replied harshly. It made Ren smile.

“Sorry, you’re right. I just don’t want to think about tomorrow.”

“It won’t be forever,” Goro sighed.

“No, but it’ll feel like it.”

Goro huffed and turned around, his deadpan expression facing Ren’s blank face. Ren smiled, kissing Goro’s forehead.

“But I’ll wait forever for you,” Ren eventually said.

Goro groaned, but wrapped his arms around Ren. They were quiet for a long while, Goro eventually wiggling down so he could rest his head on Ren’s chest. Too soon, Ren’s eyes were snapping open to the sound of his alarm.

All the thieves, Mitsuru, Minato, Sojiro, and Yuu chose to support Goro, some of them even having been subpoenaed to testify to his changed nature. Haru, in particular, asked to be allowed to testify on his behalf, well aware of how much more convincing Sae’s argument would be if one of Goro’s former victims advocated for him. Futaba also wanted to testify, but Haru’s nerves of steel were far more suited for withstanding the aggressive questioning and badgering of the prosecution. Makoto, Yuu, and even Yoshino all testified as well. Sae’s last witness was actually Mitsuru, whose intimidating aura kowtowed the prosecution into asking for a recess so they could discuss a deal with Sae.

By the time the gravel banged decisively on the desk, Goro was given a mere three years in prison, with the option for parole after one year. The only caveats were that he was to remain in Iwatodai to serve out his sentence, even though his crimes were committed in Tokyo, and that he continue seeing his therapist during his sentence.

As everyone left the courtroom, Ren approached a now handcuffed Goro. Sae was talking to the judge and other officials. Yuu approached the bailiff holding Goro’s cuffs and managed to cajole the man away to give Ren and Goro some privacy.

“So,” Goro announced.

Ren couldn’t speak.

At that, Goro gave him a flat look. “This isn’t goodbye, you idiot.”

Ren managed a watery laugh. “No, it isn’t. In a year, you’ll be out for good behavior.”

That insufferable smirk appeared. “I bet I’ll be out in six months.”

“You would turn it into a competition,” Ren shook his head, eyes soft. “I love you so much, Goro.”

A light blush covered Goro’s cheeks even as the brunet scowled and ducked his head. Ren leaned forward, sly smile spreading across his face, as Goro muttered, “…love you too, attic trash.”

“And then…when you get out…”

Goro looked at Ren from beneath his eyelashes; the demure look was ruined by the wicked smile on his face. “You better be waiting for me. Don’t forget—you’re _mine_.”

Ren grinned back, leaning in and kissing Goro chastely. “Completely yours. And you’re mine?”

“No one owns me.”

“ _Goro_.”

Crimson orbs rolled so hard, Ren felt it. “Fine, _yes_. I’m yours, as well. As if you didn’t already know.” And Ren knew he would wait for this man forever.

“Come back to me, Goro,” Ren pleaded, running his hand through brunet tresses. Goro huffed a laugh, leaning into the touch.

“Like there isn’t some universal rule where we’re always dragged back together, Ren.” Goro glanced away, his cheeks dusting red, and his brows furrowing slightly. “Don’t forget me?”

Ren smirked, pulling out the black glove he always kept on his person. Goro’s crimson eyes widened at the sight, then slid closed as he laughed. He kept laughing as the other teen leaned in to press his own laughs against Goro’s mouth.

“Never again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the end! i told you i wrote the whole thing already
> 
> lmaoooo JUST KIDDING this isn't the end of course not. how am i gonna write these two without an obligatory christmas chapter???
> 
> actually, what had happened was--this was supposed to only be 8 chapters. it got larger and larger. it kind of felt like one chapter closed here, though, so i decided to write the rest of the story in pieces. you know, the in between that you miss because of the larger, overarching story.
> 
> so, look forward to shuake week 2020 whorebiscuits!!! this story is not over until someone gets fucking married in this universe
> 
> Also, sincerely, _thank you so much_. I write these stories for me and because I love these characters, but it feels so good to have other people appreciate that piece of me, too. Thank you, thank you, _thank you_.
> 
> also dont think im not clockin yall for not appreciating the japanese beauty REALNESS ren was serving. ruDEEE


End file.
